The Queen and her Titan
by Angry Madmoth
Summary: 'I have shown you benevolence, Guardian. Should the Awoken ever need an ally, I will call on you. And expect you to answer.' It has been but a week since those words were spoken. And now, Queen of the Reef has called upon the Titan that came seeking aid from the Awoken, for reasons only she knows. - Human Female Titan/Queen of the Reef pairing. Varying amounts of headcanon.
1. Chapter 1

The Reef, as always, spread out across the expanse of space before her eyes as she paid close attention to the two Awoken fighters escorting her jumpship, as it were. The controls of the Regulus-class NS22 responded deftly to her touch as she banked around another piece of debris, her 'escorts' never straying far. This was her second visit to the home of the Awoken. And it still seemed they regarded outsiders with barely-concealed xenophobia.

_She's saying you owe us, Guardian._

Ah, the Queen's brother. Definitely an interesting character. The Titan had expected to be ambushed by him at some point or another upon leaving for Mars in search of the Black Garden. Much to her disappointment/relief, nothing of the sort had happened – on one hand, feeding the antagonistic man a knuckle sandwich would've been a great stress relief. On the other hand, a diplomatic incident between the Last City and the Reefborn Awoken was the last thing they needed, what with the Fallen and Hive encroaching upon their defences.

Thus, she had covered up her indignation and left with all the quiet dignity and grace she could muster.

And now, not even a week after she'd destroyed the Black Garden's heart, she'd received a message from the Reef explaining that the Queen was cashing in her favour, to put it simply. With no small amount of irritation, she'd left for Reef, seething quietly as the NLS drive charged – she was a Guardian. A Titan! She'd been bludgeoned, shot, bitten stabbed, blown up more times than she could count - the least she could do was ask for a little respect. But, if her interactions with the Reefborn were anything to go by, the Awoken would only treat their own kin with some semblance of cordiality – those Awoken that left for Earth were no longer welcomed back.

"So, any idea what the Queen is after?" The hovering Ghost at her side piped up, breaking the silence that had lasted ever since the jumpship's engines rumbled into life back on the Tower.

"Sadly, no. The message was very short and only instructed to come here as soon as possible, so it must be something of great importance."

"Fair enough. I still don't like this. Almost feels like a trap."

"We've walked in our fair share of ambushes and traps, Ghost, and then some. I think we can handle another one."

"A fair point. Just hope you know we've got nothing in the way of support all the way out here. If everything goes to hell, it'll do so in a fancy paper hat, and we'll be on our own."

"Just like old times, then?"

"Just like old times."

* * *

Just as before, a pair of female guards escorted her to the throne room – so far, she'd seen only Awoken women as guards. Matriarchy seemed to be in season among the Reefborn. No wonder the Queen's brother was so set on establishing himself in their society.

And, just as before, the man himself met her, simmering with barely-concealed hostility.

"Ah, we meet again, Guardian. I trust you are here to answer my sister's summons, yes?"

"You should know by now that I hold my promises." She replied levelly, keeping her tone neutral, even though the Awoken's arrogant manner threatened to drive her mad. "The Queen helped me reach the Black Garden. I am here to return the favour."

"Are all humans as misguidedly honor-bound as you, Guardian?" He chuckled sardonically, continuing to speak before the woman had any chance to retort. "A servant will come along soon and take you to the Queen's chambers." His contemptuous gaze turned cold as he glared at her. "I hope I do not have to remind you to watch your manners. My sister has been very secretive regarding the purpose of your visit, so it'd be in your best interests to be courteous towards her." Without further ado, he left, his footsteps echoing long after he was gone.

"Do you think he was born scowling like that?" Ghost piped up, flashing into existence as it slowly began to drift about, never straying far from the Titan.

"Wouldn't surprise me." The woman responded, brushing a stray lock of her dark blonde hair behind her ear. Humming to herself quietly, she began to pace around the throne room, her dark blue eyes examining anything that caught her attention, though her gaze never lingered on anything for more than a few seconds.

As promised, the servant - a young Awoken male - arrived a minute later, wordlessly motioning for her to follow him. She complied, her heavy footsteps echoing in the hallways, drawing the glares of many a guard – the weight of her armour was sure to leave more than a couple of dents in the floor panels.

* * *

Once more, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place – figuratively speaking.

The Queen wanted to meet her, alright. But she also wanted for the Titan to dine with her. And, seeing as armour isn't proper formal apparel, she'd been escorted to a suite and presented with several dresses to choose from.

Thus, her dilemma – she didn't want to risk offending the Queen, but neither did she want to wear a damned dress. And Ghost wasn't much help, either, citing that improving the lukewarm politic relationship with the Reef was paramount.

"I can't even remember the last time I didn't have my armour on..." She grumbled to herself as she wriggled out from the skin-tight bodysuit the armour plates were attached to, leaving her clad in simple undergarments.

"Probably because this is the first time you've taken your armour off in its entirety." Ghost piped up as he transmatted the pieces to the jumpship. "You're as pale as a ghost." The AI chuckled dryly at its own joke.

"That was bad and you should feel bad." The woman grumbled to herself as she turned to face the dresses arranged before her, indecisively eyeing them. "Which one should I pick?"

"Don't ask me, I know nothing about fashion. Just choose one at random, I guess."

"Easy for you to say..." She grumbled again, before snatching up a sapphire blue one and quickly slipping it on, fidgeting as she felt the fabric against her skin. "It feels weird."

"Might have something to do with the fact you've never worn anything else than armour. Well, go and meet the Queen, see what she's called us here for. I'll wait at the ship."

"Wait, you're not coming with?"

"Nope. Apparently, whatever she's got to say is only for you to hear, Guardian. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for anything that might seem fishy."

"What's a fish got to do with anything?"

"It's an old Earth metaphor."

"What's it mean, then?"

"..."

"..."

"Don't you have a dinner to go to?"

* * *

The ornate doors closed behind her, leaving her alone in the exquisite room. A table was set up near a wide window that granted a breathtaking view. A number of dishes and cutlery were arranged on the table's surface, though her host was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, internally cursing whichever dim being had invented the high-heeled shoes she now wore, she walked over to the window, silently gazing outside. Though outwardly as calm as ever, her mind was stirring – what was the Queen playing at this time? She'd been more approving of her quest, unlike her brother. Yet the Titan was no less wary of her motives...

"I must say, the dress suits you, Guardian." A smooth voice alerted her and the Titan spun around, crackling arcs of lightning gathering around her fist before she squashed the instinctive response to an ambush.

The Awoken Queen seemed to have materialised from nowhere, standing a couple of metres away, clad in a purple, form-fitting dress flecked with gold stripes. Her intense, cyan-blue eyes were still as unreadable as ever. "Relax, Guardian. It was not my intent to startle you, though I suppose that eventually, one sees enemies everywhere."

"It is nothing, Your Grace. As you said, I was merely startled." The charge dissipated as the Titan bowed slightly, eliciting a small smile from the Queen. "May I ask why did you request my presence?"

The Awoken woman gestured towards the table, the motion slow and refined. "Please, sit down. My servants will arrive shortly with our food. We will talk after the meal, if that does not inconvene you."

"Not at all, Your Grace." She sat down, her eyes straying over to the other woman, noticing her swaying hips – a commendable tactic, to distract the Guardian from the topic she'd tried to raise.

Not that it was in any way effective, no sir.

"So, what has happened since we last spoke? I do not have an efficient means of keeping an eye on whatever's happening on other worlds, though I trust my emissary's service at the Tower has been satisfactory."

"Petra Venj? Yes, she serves well, and the rewards she gives for bounties carried out are well worth the effort."

"That is good to hear, Guardian. How does your City fare now, with the Black Garden's Heart rendered harmless?"

"There is much talk of reclaiming outlying territories outside of the Wall. The Traveller heals with every passing day, and the Speaker is confident it will awaken in the near future. With their Kell dead, the Fallen are too busy fighting each other to harass the City and the Hive are just as leaderless. The Vex are still warring with the Cabal, and the cryptarchs say that the transformation of Venus has halted. Things are looking up for Earth. There is hope that when Darkness returns, we will be ready for it."

"I imagine that the City's populace is heartened by such news." The Queen spoke, keeping her tone neutral and polite. She was about to continue when the doors to the room opened, letting in a pair of servants that pushed in a pair of hovercarts. With practised movements, they placed several trays on the table before departing quietly.

The Queen smiled a congenial smile before speaking. "Let it never be said that I do not treat my guests well. Please, enjoy this meal with me. Then, we shall talk."

The Titan nodded, and examined the foods arranged before her. "So, what should I try first?"

"It's your choice, Guardian. All are equally delicious, in my opinion." The Queen responded, taking a bit of everything. Her guest followed suit a moment later and silence set in as they ate, though both would sneak a peek ever so often, silently gauging each other.

* * *

"Now, I imagine you have more than a few questions to ask, Guardian." The Queen spoke up once the meal was finished. She stood up and motioned for the Titan to follow. The human did so, trailing after the Awoken into a lavishly-decorated room that was mainly occupied by a very big bed. The Queen immediately sat down on the bed's edge, crossing her legs as she eyed the human woman standing a couple of metres away.

"Imagine my surprise when a lone jumpship arrives in the Reef, bold as you will, requesting an audience with me. The Reefborn have few visitors, if any, and most of those hide their motives behind veils of deceit and oily handshakes. But you..." The Queen stood up, slowly walking over to the Titan, her gaze having lost none of its intensity. "You are something different. You declare that you are on a quest that is tauntamount to suicide – to destroy the Heart of the Black Garden. To that end, not only do you defeat a Vex Gate Lord, but also manage to accomplish your objectives, and live to tell the tale." The Queen slowly circled around her guest, the Awoken's fingers briefly brushing against her shoulder. "It is refreshing to see someone who has the strength and drive to do what they promised to do. Far too many times have I been disappointed by weak, simpering fools who eagerly make far-fetched promises, and forget them just as readily."

"Your Grace, we both know that all-out flattery will get neither of us anywhere. What is it you're trying to tell?" The Titan interrupted, turning her head to meet the other woman's gaze – and for the briefest moment, she saw hesitation and anxiety in the Queen's eyes. But only for a moment.

"I find you desirable. Incredibly so. Not merely as an ally, political or not, but as much more..." The Queen exhaled breathily, her fingers trailing along the other woman's cheek. "There are many self-appointed nobles among the Reefborn who would love to have the Queen as their lover. Unfortunately, their interests are mainly self-serving and I find myself intrigued by you, Guardian."

"...Excuse me?"

"I find myself attracted to you. You have the drive, determination, confidence to emerge ever victorious, despite the opposition. You have the mind and heart that none of the Reef's so-called nobles could ever dream to possess, no matter how much they tried. I find it odd that none would already vie for your affections."

"You'll have to run that by me one more time, Your Grace."

The Awoken took a step back, brow furrowed in surprise. "Surely you know what romantic feelings mean, Guardian."

The Titan let out a dry, humourless chuckle. "I don't even know my own name. I don't know how I died, or who I was before my death. All I know is that I am a Guardian, brought back to life to defend what remains of humanity against a relentless, merciless foe. From the moment I arrived at the Last City, it's been Guardian this, Guardian that – an endless fight against enemies more numerous and vicious than us."

Her eyes haunted, the Titan walked over to a window, gazing out into the void of space. The meal we had just minutes earlier? That was the first time I'd actually had taste of actual food – before today, my diet has consisted entirely of non-perishable rations. This dress you so generously lent to me? The first actual piece of clothing I've worn. War is all I know. If you need something destroyed, I'm there to do it. You need a diplomatic dispute settled peacefully? I'd just end up making a mess of it."

Quietly, the Queen gazed at the solitary woman – were it anyone else, she would have pounced upon the opportunity to exploit a weakness so carelessly exposed. This time, however, she could not find it in herself to be so callous. The Guardian had been anything but a liar with her – the least she could do was return the favour.

Her expression solemn, she made her way over to the human and laid a reassuring hand upon her shoulder. "That is another appealing quality of yours – you know your limits. You know that you aren't all-powerful. You aren't overconfident in your abilities to the point of nauseating arrogance, but neither are you an all-out defeatist. From what you have divulged to me so far, you are in need of someone to confide in. I am willing to offer that, and much more. All I ask is for a chance to prove that my intentions are not selfish."

"And how do you intend to do that, pray tell?" The Titan responded, her voice curt and quiet as she turned to face the Queen.

In response, she let out a brief chuckle, slowly leaning closer, her eyes firmly focused on the human's. "Like so..."


	2. Chapter 2

Later, she would try to more accurately describe the sensation that she'd felt when the Queen's lips pressed against her own – frenching an electrical socket seemed an apt description at the time.

But that was neither here or now.

At that moment, however, she felt her heart miss a beat, her breath catching in her throat. She was faintly aware of the Queen's arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her close, though that was the extent of her awareness at the time. A muffled moan left her as she felt the other woman's tongue probe at her lips.

With her capability for rational thought diminishing with every passing moment, she obliged the unspoken request, and her knees nearly gave out as the Awoken's tongue began to explore her mouth. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around the Queen for support, sloppily kissing back in earnest. It did not take her long to become aware of a curious warmth building inside her chest, a sensation that was slowly, but steadily making its presence known throughout her body.

Eventually, she remembered that breathing was actually a thing – with some effort, she pulled back from the Queen, her heart beating mile a minute, the gap between their lips bridged by several strands of saliva – much to their shared surprise, the Titan licked that bit of slobber up. The stunned silence lasted but for a moment before the Queen spoke, a coy smile on her face.

"Well, someone's greedy today..." Her voice could be described with just about every word that started with a soft 's' – smooth, silky, seductive and sultry being among those running rampant through the human's mind. Still wearing that lustful expression, the Queen led her would-be lover over to the bed where they sat down. "That being said, however, I will not force this upon ymmMMH~" Whatever argument she was coming up with was masterfully defeated by the Guardian's kiss as she was pulled down on the bed.

Though the woman's lack of experience was amply made up for by her sheer vigour, the Queen knew that this was very likely to end in something more than merely swapping mouth linings with the Guardian. Breaking the kiss, she spoke up before the human had any chance to resume her ministrations.

"Well, I guess that answers my question. But there is something I should tell you before going any further..."

Curiosity overriding her arousal, the Titan looked at the woman, quietly waiting for her to continue.

"My name is Mara Sov. Only my brother knows it. And now, so do you." Seeing the confusion on the other woman's face, she decided to elaborate. "When I claimed the throne, there were many who would see themselves crowned. During my rise to the throne, I had to take a false name to protect my family from retribution. It is my hope that you will keep this secret, too."

The Guardian nodded, and Mara relaxed, wriggling out from under the woman. Anxiety was replaced with self-confidence as the Awoken shed her dress and high-heels, propping herself on her elbows as she posed for the Titan, wearing naught but black lingerie.

"I take it by your flabbergasted expression that you approve of my looks, Guardian."

"..." The blushing woman could only stare silently as a fierce blush spread across her face, followed by a scent that she could only describe as almonds.

_Humina humina humina humina-_"Guardian?"

"Bwuh? Oh, uh, sorry. Was lost in thought for a moment."

"Is that so?" Mara chuckled lowly, scooting closer to the Titan, noting how the woman's blush only grew. "Well, I think it is your turn..."

That seemed to jar the blonde out of her trance. Her expression grew hesitant as she righted herself. "Just a heads-up - I'm not as well-kept as you, Mara." She stood up, and without further ado, she slipped the dress off. Whatever snarky retort the Awoken had prepared was summarily forgotten as she beheld the Titan.

Scars.

Myriad scars covered the woman's pale-skinned body – gunshot wounds, lacerations, the whole nine yards. But the Queen's eyes were drawn to one that curved across the woman's right shoulder – the length alone indicated that the Guardian almost lost her right arm at one point.

"Warlocks and Hunters aren't exactly frontline material, see. Sure, at range they'll tear just about anything a new one, but up close their chances are poor. So I intercept shots intended for others. Or nearly get my arm loped off by a Swarm Prince. Or get swarmed by Hive Thralls. I've had my armour on since my Ghost resurrected me outside Cosmodrome." The Titan reached up to rub at the scar, her eyes downcast. A moment later, however, she felt fingers grasp her chin, forcing her to look up – Mara was standing in front of her, the Awoken's eyes full of admiration.

"It's quite an enigma you present – you're beautiful, selfless, courageous, determined... And yet you still are single. But we can talk later. For I do not think I can keep delaying any longer." The blue-skinned seductress cooed, dragging the woman back onto the bed. "Just relax – I'll take care of you..." The tone of her voice, however, clearly suggested that what would follow was going to be anything but relaxing – the Titan let out an eep as she was pushed on her back. Exploiting the woman's confusion, Mara straddled her, the Awoken's fingers gently trailing across the large scar. "I prefer to think that your scars are a testament to your refusal to give up, even in the face of adversity. But that is not important now..." She grinned predatorily as their lips met again, the Titan letting out a soft moan at the contact.

Many a night had been spent with nothing but her Ghost and weapons to keep her company. There was always something to watch out for – Fallen, Cabal, Hive, or Vex.

Mara was definitely far more preferable. Especially with the woman's thigh grinding between her legs as their heated bodies pressed together – the Awoken's lithe, slender figure had lit a desireful flame inside her, one that she didn't readily recognise.

But she was damn well enjoying it, finding courage to blindly paw at the strap of Mara's bra in a poor attempt to get the piece of lingerie come off. Sensing the human's fingers, the Awoken sat up, grinning at her as she deftly undid the clasp and tossed the lacy bra aside.

Her grin vanished just as quickly when her lover pulled her back down, into a passionate kiss.

And then sex happened and it was good.

* * *

The ringing wouldn't stop. Where had it come from?

Other's fingers were gentle in their caress, stroking her cheek softly. Her voice was smooth and loving, saying something that escaped her ears.

Her heart was beating at a mad pace, but seemed to be slowing. Why was she so dizzy?

Other spoke again, her tone turning concerned – she grasped her by the shoulders, giving her a slight shake. The irritating din eased off, but the empty pangs in her chest did not abate.

There was a sharp jab into her side. With a wheezing gasp, she reflexively inhaled, her back arching for a moment before she collapsed into an immobile pile of sweaty limbs, her chest heaving as she swallowed great gulps of air.

"You had me worried for a moment there when you didn't breathe." Mara sighed relievedly, sitting up at her lover's side. "But then again, considering this was your first time, I shouldn't be so surprised." The Awoken's naked body glistened with sweat as she beheld the recovering woman – the rise and fall of her ample bust as she came down from the climax-induced high, a rivulet of sweat that ran down her cleavage... the woman was insanely beautiful, even in her debilitated state.

"W-wuh..." The human tried to speak, but fell silent as Mara pressed a finger to her lips.

"Sshhh. You need to rest." Carefully, she pulled the blankets up to their necks, cuddling with the woman.

"I-I... I love you..." The Guardian managed to say before oblivion took her, falling asleep in Mara's arms. The Awoken looked at the sleeping woman in surprise – she'd had praise heaped upon her far more times than she cared to remember, mostly by nobles trying to brown-nose their way into her favour.

Her new-found lover had said three simple words. Except she meant it – there was no doubting the sincere affection in her voice. Feeling warmth well up in her heart, she lay down, resting her head on the Titan's chest, relishing the heat and heartbeat emanating from the woman, her heart playing the most precious music of them all – the music of life.

* * *

Mara came to her senses as she heard something beep incessantly. Soon, she came to realise that someone was trying to contact her. She would respond, except there was a slight problem.

Her lover was proving to be exceptionally cuddly. The blonde woman's face was peaceful as she dozed, warming the Awoken's heart.

But she had a duty to the Reefborn as their Queen. Regretfully, she slipped out from the woman's arms, quietly sneaking through the low-lit room over to a screen mounted in the wall, mindful not to open a video feed, instead electing for audio only.

"Yes? What is it?" She grumbled sleepily.

"Your Grace, we have a problem. Someone has snuck into your chambers undetected. They are heading towards your bedroom."

"Another would-be assassin? You would think they got the hint after the last one. Thanks for notifying me, Guard-Captain. I'll deal with this myself, but keep the exits covered nonetheless."

"Understood." The comm-link went dead and Mara quickly tiptoed over to a table, arming herself with a hand cannon before quietly making her way to an alcove just to the left of her bedroom's doors. It wasn't a perfect location, but it'd have to do. Hastily covering herself up with a spare bedsheet, she crouched down, hoping that whoever the assailant was, they'd be distracted by the woman in the bed first.

A minute passed before she heard quiet, stealthy footsteps of the would-be assassin. The door opened a moment later, letting in a solitary figure. Quiet as a ghost, she stood up, pressing her weapon's muzzle against the back of the intruder's head.

"I think it's best if you do not attempt anything untoward."

"...Sister?"

Well, that she did not expect.

"What do you think you're doing, sneaking into my chambers?" She asked quietly, eyeing the other Awoken in the dimly-lit room, slowly lowering the gun.

"And what are you... Do you mind explaining why you are wearing a bedsheet?" Her brother inquired, turning around to face her. Instinctively, she cast a sidelong glance at the Guardian, still sprawled in the bed, her half-covered form barely visible. Her brother, however, caught the movement and turned to examine the bed. It didn't take him long to put two and two together – when it clicked, he stuttered furiously.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this!?" He took a step towards the bed, unsheathing his dagger, fury overriding his common sense. Nonetheless, he only managed to take two steps forward before he found himself face down on the floor, munching on a mouthful of carpet, his knife arm twisted behind his back.

"Mgfferrr~!"

"Choose your next actions with exceptional care, dear brother. I will not let any harm befall her."

"Neeerg nerrghll?" Sighing, Mara liberated the weapon from her brother, letting him go afterwards. He stood up, wincing as he massaged his abused shoulder. "Please tell me this is all a bad dream. Please tell me you didn't have sex with that Guardian. Please, by all that is good and holy in this world, tell me that you didn't."

A cocked eyebrow was all he got.

"Do you have any idea what the repercussions for this will be? The nobles will be furious! What possessed you to even consider this?"

"I... love her." Mara admitted quietly, something that made her brother regard her as if she'd grown a second head. A moment later, however, he began to snicker quietly.

"Oh, t-that is just rich... And here I thought you'd grown less manipulative or deceptive over the years, Mara. Winning the Guardian over with sex appeal – no way that wouldn't work! A person like her would jump at every chance to please you, now that you've gotten her on a leash."

"What are you talking about, Uldren?"

"Oh, don't play dumb, dear sister. We both know that your regency is tenuous at best, and you need a means to de-claw the nobility. An alliance with Earth and its Guardians would be well-received by the commonfolk. Believe me, I made some inquiries. And I do not doubt the Guardian will jump at the chance to help you reaffirm your rule." His tone turned sinister, and before his sibling could retort, he continued. "Oh, I know what you're going to say – that you would never abuse her trust like that. But we both know better. We stabbed, shot, murdered, lied, and blackmailed our way to the throne. Our pasts are dripping with blood. If you think you can get rid of it by taking pity on a lonely, worn-out human, be my guest. But do not expect me to be okay with it." With a grunt, he snatched his dagger back, sheathing it as he turned to leave.

"You're afraid."

"Excuse me?"

"You're afraid that I'll devote more time to her than you. That you'll fall out of my favour and be replaced by her. Uldren, you are my brother. And that will never change. You are family. And that means no one gets left behind."

"And her?"

At that, Mara turned to look at the still-sleeping woman, chewing on her lip for a moment as she thought. "It's different... She is like the Wall her predecessors gave their lives to build – stalwart and unyielding. A port to weather a storm in. You'll understand when you find someone that finds a place in your heart."

"That makes no sense."

"Love makes no sense."

"Just don't blame me when I say 'I told you so' because this relationship you've struck up goes south." Uldren sighed exasperatedly and departed. As he shut the door behind him, the Titan stirred from her slumber. Quickly, Mara put her gun down, making her way over to the bed, settling down at the Guardian's side.

"You're awake. I trust you slept well?"

"Like never before." The blonde replied groggily, slowly sitting up and stretching her arms out, her spine popping as she did so. Letting out a content sigh, she continued. "So, er... Where do we go from now? I mean, last night was amazing and all, but-" She fell silent and closed her eyes as Mara pressed their lips together. A moment later, the Awoken pulled back.

"We keep going. And we see what happens. One step at a time."

"I can do that." The Titan smiled, yawning once before scratching her head. "So, you never did tell why you summoned me."

"Ah, that. Well..." The Awoken twiddled her thumbs awkwardly before speaking, her brother's words echoing in her mind. "We need help. The Reefborn need help. Our supplies are always strained and we are living by the skin of our teeth out here, so to speak. We would certainly appreciate any aid your City can provide. And I think that more than a few people here would prefer strengthening our political ties." Internally, she was cursing herself – her brother was rarely wrong, and she'd just proved his words were true.

"An alliance? I'd have to talk to the Speaker about that. And the City's faction leaders. I'm not going to promise any miracles, but I'll give it a try. Or several, depending on how it goes."

"Thank you, Guardian." Mara smiled, though she felt like punching herself. Though she swore now to herself that this would be the last time she'd exploit anyone, she knew it'd be a difficult promise to keep.

But as she remembered those three words the woman had said last night, she knew it was more than worth the effort.

"Well, if that's all, I guess I should head back, or at least check up on my Ghost."

"So soon? Surely you can delay your departure another couple of minutes..." Mara chuckled, shuffling closer to the woman.

The Titan let out a hum, contemplating it for a while. And then she pulled the Awoken down on top of her.

* * *

"There are more than a million words in the English language but I could never string any of them together to explain how much I want to hit you with a chair right now." The hovering form of her Ghost materialised in front of her, bobbing up and down agitatedly.

"Uh... Excuse me?"

"Where have you been for so long? And why were your vitals all over the place a short while after you'd gone to meet the Queen?"

"It's a long story, Ghost. I'll tell you on the way back."

"It better not be what I think it was."

It was what he thought it was.


	3. Chapter 3

The door swung open with a creak, and a solitary figure walked inside, followed by a small hovering object.

"We could probably transmat the dust and cobwebs out."

"You just gave laziness a whole new meaning, Ghost."

"Well, excuse me for not having any limbs." Ghost retorted, giving his companion the equivalent of a frown. "I'll get us reconnected to the power grid."

"I could punch the fusebox, you know. Save us some trouble."

"Somehow, I doubt the City's engineers will appreciate a district going dark because a Titan sent several thousand volts through the grid. Leave it to me."

"As you wish. Guess I'll look around for a broom or something." She wandered off, her footsteps echoing in the largely-unfurnished rooms. Some appliances were present in the kitchen, but seemed in a state of severed disrepair. Oh, well. Nothing a bit of Glimmer couldn't fix.

And then every functioning lightbulb exploded.

"Oops. My bad." A synthesised voice reached her ears and she sighed.

Thus began their first day in their newly-purchased home.

* * *

"Are you sure she's going to be alright?" The Warlock asked the Ghost, both of them staring at the Titan lying face-down on the floor, next to a chair with its front two legs pointing in the wrong direction. A collection of tools was scattered around the prone Guardian and her creation. She'd found a lone disassembled chair in the house, and tried to put it together, to disastrous results.

"Yes. At least, I think so. Um..." The AI hummed for a moment, unsure what to say.

"I am a failure. I can field-strip a Cabal slug rifle, but can't properly assemble a wooden chair." The blonde moaned defeatedly. The Awoken stepped closer, kneeling at the Titan's side.

"Come on, Jennifer. It's not the end of the world."

"No, but what do you think Commander Zavala would say at seeing a failure of this magnitude?"

"I wouldn't know, I've never really spoken to the man. I'm not a Titan, after all."

"Right, right. Well, uh... Guess I'll see you later, Nara. If anything comes up, let me know."

"Will do! You just rest on your victory laurels, Jennifer. You've earned it."

The Titan groaned in response as her Awoken friend stood up, her longcoat swirling up a small dust cloud in progress. The front door creaked shut a moment later and silence set in.

"You can't lie there all day, you know."

"I know, Ghost. I know. Just give me a moment."

"A moment has passed. Get up. We still have a lot to do until this place is clean."

Jennifer groaned again, pulling herself upright. "You are the worst."

"Thank you. I try my best."

* * *

Glimmer had many uses – serving as currency was one of them. It also served to repair the frayed power lines running throughout her home. It could be programmed into just about anything by anyone with the means to do so and an ample enough supply of Glimmer.

But that was a luxury she couldn't afford. The house, unoccupied as it was, still wasn't all that cheap. Especially because of the view it offered.

The socket in the ceiling above her head creaked as Ghost blew a small wisp of Glimmer into it, and the nebulous blue cloud solidified into a lightbulb. With a quiet ping, it winked into life, filling the kitchen with a warm golden glow.

"And that's the last of anything electricity-related done. Even got the water heater working, so we've pretty much got most of life's basic necessities covered."

"Except food."

"Except food. Well, hope you enjoy taking public transport, because no way I am letting you take the jumpship into the Markets. Oh, and clothes. You'll need more than Titan armour and the clothing you have on now. And some other bits and ends, like furniture."

"I guess that makes sense. But are you sure we can't-"

"No."

"Buzzkill."

"I'm sorry, but I thought we were trying to get some rest and reprieve incognito-like. Isn't that the whole reason we asked Commander Zavala to let you buy your own residence outside of the Tower?"

"Yes, it is." She conceded, grumbling.

"Besides, that lipstick and black facepaint combo had to go anyways."

"Never going to let that go, are you? It seemed like a good idea at the time!" She groaned exasperatedly.

"At least you were sure to stand out among other Guardians."

"Okay, okay... We'll do it your way, Ghost." She sighed resignedly, and her companion beeped.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you. Just like when-"

"You brought me back to life, yes."

"Wow, rude." With a flash, Ghost disappeared and she felt his presence within her mind a moment later. "Well, let's see what the City has to offer for us."

* * *

She'd seen the City many a time – but never up close, the streets and houses distant from atop the Tower. She'd let a Tower shuttle carry them to her new abode, but walking down the winding street was relaxing in its own way – with this particular district being on the outskirts of the City, there were few sources of noise, making for a tranquil environment. Trees and shrubs lined the narrow, winding street, smaller side paths leading off to other houses, while birds sung from the treetops. It was a far cry from the serene, stately calm of the Tower, and she enjoyed it.

Speaking of things to enjoy, her mind drifted back to her departure from the Reef...

"_You will visit me again, Guardian, won't you?" Mara whispered quietly, caressing her cheek._

"_Of course. I will do so whenever I am free. Or when I have an answer to your request. She'd responded, losing herself in the Awoken's deep blue eyes. Together, they stood in the shadowed alcove, safe from prying eyes. Mara's touch warmed her, bringing up many fond memories of last night-Can you not?_

Huh?

_If you're going to reminisce while reminiscing, please do it when I'm not inside your head, Guardian. It gets really weird for me._

Oh. Sorry.

_Especially when you're a Ghost watching over his Guardian's jumpship and feel something weird happen to said Guardian, and before you realise, _she's having sex with the Queen of the Reef, of all people.

...Sorry.

_From now on, you will listen to me. I've more knowledge of how the City works. You'll do the shopping, and I'll keep you from doing anything that might be perceived as weird._

Yes, mom.

Ghost 'sighed' resignedly. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Jennifer decided she did not like the bus in the least. It was old, and its engine rattled like a Sargon-C with a broken firing pin, and the seats were barely deserving of the name. And being an aged, rusty relic that it was, it could barely keep up with the rest of traffic that the bus had joined on its way into wherever it was headed to.

Ghost said they were going to the district centre, where they would purchase whatever they still needed.

But she thought Ghost was full of shit and was still upset about what went down with Mara, and was coming up with a means to get back at her for that.

_I can hear that, you know._

Motherfff-

_This is our stop, by the way._

Quickly, she disembarked, glad to leave the oddly-smelling vehicle behind, pausing to take in the scenery around her. It was not quite as bustling as further in the City – no skyscrapers soaring skywards or skylanes bustling with shuttles around, but alive nonetheless. Houses of brick and mortar lined the streets, dusty, time-worn signs proclaiming their purpose as shops, stores, restaurants, cafés...

_We probably should get a move on before we draw attention. You've been standing with your mouth open for almost a minute._

You're such a mood killer.

* * *

There was the ring of a doorbell as she entered the store, and a young, smiling man greeted her from behind a counter.

"Hello, miss! How can I help you today?"

_You need furniture for your home._

"I need furniture for my home." She parroted and the man smiled.

"Well, you've come to the right place, then! What do you wish to buy?"

"Uh, everything, I guess. I moved in just now, and all the rooms are barren."

"That's not a problem. Just follow me and take your pick."

As they wove through the various pieces of furniture, Ghost piped up again.

_If you're wondering how we'll pay for this without giving your identity as a Guardian away, check your back pocket._

She did as instructed, and her eyes widened in surprise for a moment as she felt the rectangular shape of something thin.

Ghost?

_It's a Glimmerchip. I flash-forged one before leaving. People use these in the City, seeing as they don't have Ghosts to handle the transactions. I also took the courtesy of keying it to your cache of Glimmer back in the Tower, so there should be no trouble._

Nice. Thanks, Ghost.

_No problem. Now, pay attention to the nice young man._

"...if you're hurting for Glimmer, we have second-hand items for sale, but they're always tested and refurbished to the best of our staff's abilities."

"No, that should be alright. I'm not too picky, honestly."

"Splendid! In that case, let's see which ones are to your tastes, shall we?"

"Sure, by all means."

* * *

Well, Ghost had been right about one thing – she'd be utterly lost without his help. He'd explain Outer City slang to her, drop helpful hints whenever needed, and guided her through the streets without a single error. Hell, she didn't even know what her home address was until Ghost whispered it to her – 712 Old Akelarre.

And, as she took another bus back to her home, she realised just how out of place she was – what few friends she had were all Guardians, and their interests mainly revolved around knives, coats, and heavy ordnance – Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans, respectively.

_Chin up, Guardian. I'm sure that you'll make friends with some of your neighbours. As long as you can talk about anything else than punching Fallen Dregs to death._

Here's hoping.

_And, hey, if that doesn't interest you, we still have that furniture to assemble, soon as it's delivered to your house._

And that is something I did not need to remember. Thanks, Ghost.

_Just doing my job._

As she approached her house, laden down with bags filled with her purchases, she heard voices coming from just ahead.

_Sounds like someone's in the backyard._

Just then, she saw two women walk from around the corner of her house, and froze once they saw her, looking very much like a pair of kids caught trying to steal from the cookie jar. The older one spoke first.

"Sorry. We didn't know anyone had moved in, I swear. We were trying to find out where our dog has gone to."

"I guess you're my new neighbours, then?"

"Oh, uh, seems like it. Sorry again for that." The first one, a tall brunette, gestured lamely at the yard. "This place has been without an owner for years, now. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Helena Cain and this is my sister, Lucy."

"Hello!" Lucy waved timidly, and the Guardian found herself relaxing somewhat.

"I'm Jennifer Irons. Nice to meet you. And don't worry, I'm not going to hold it against you. It does look very abandoned. Guess I'll have to change that, no?" The blonde hummed thoughtfully as she examined her home's exterior, which was far from spotless.

"We could help you with that." Helena piped up, earning herself a mild glare from her sister. "I mean, if you've moved in only recently, you... How exactly are you carrying all that by yourself, anyways?" She queried, gesturing to the multitude of bags Jennifer was holding.

"I work out. You know, keep myself in shape." The woman's response was curt.

"Right. I guess that makes sense."

"Well, come on in, then. It'd be awful rude of me not to treat my first guests well." Jennifer smiled as she walked over to the door, unlocking it. Well, Ghost did the task, making her excuse the door opening on its own accord as the lock being keyed to her Glimmerchip – yet another hint given to her by Ghost.

The heavy bags, laden with clothes, food and all manners of utensils and devices Ghost had said she'd have need of thumped dully against the floor as she flipped the lightswitch, flooding the rooms with light.

"It's lacking sorely in furniture, I know. I'm getting it delivered in an hour or so. Bought some other things I need in the meantime."

Lucy wandered over to one of the windows, gazing outside. "Now I'm really jealous of you, Jennifer – the view is amazing! Just imagine sitting down outside as the sun sets – the Traveller, bathed in golden sunlight as our star slowly sinks behind the horizon..."

"Aren't you in a poetic mood today, Lucy." Helena chuckled as she looked into the kitchen. "Well, Jennifer, I think it's safe to say you've got your work cut out for you. The lawn will need tending to as well. We could lend you our lawnmover, if you wanted to." Jennifer looked at the woman, cocking an eyebrow as she did so.

"Why're you going out of your way to help me like this?"

"Believe it or not, the folk in the City's outer districts are definitely more neighbourly and friendly that the inner ones." Helena explained, an affable smile on her face. "We take care of each other, and help those in need. Simple as that."

_Just like Guardians do, then. United we stand._

Divided we fall.

"Jennifer? You alright? You're kind of spacing out on us." Lucy ventured cautiously. The incognito Titan nodded in return.

"Yeah. I'll be alright. So, shall we get to making this place representable?"

* * *

Bracus Tha'aurn. Dead. Bracus Tho'ourg. Dead. The Psion Flayers - Kolar, Numoc, Vatch...

Dead.

Primus Sha'aull. Dead.

Even the venerated, ruthless fleet commander Valus Ta'aurc hadn't been spared the Guardians' wrath. With Cabal deprived of their leadership in such manner, it was a miracle that the Vex hadn't completely overrun Mars. But the machines had their own problems to deal, what with their god dead.

Such were the tales that reached the Reef's population, though none could exactly pinpoint their origins – gossip that told of how the Last City was watched over by the mighty Guardians, reborn in Traveller's Light, of how they fought against overwhelming odds to keep those under their aegis safe. Living legends that defeated fearsome monsters, were clad in the finest armour and wielded deadly, otherwordly weapons to cut a swathe through the minions of Darkness wherever they walked.

Of course, Uldren himself elected to take the tales' creditability with a pinch of salt. But he did as his sister commanded nonetheless. The Reefborn had survived on their own for centuries, and he didn't see a reason why they couldn't keep doing so. They were safely hidden within the wreckage field, and whoever dared to venture near would find themselves drifting as a cloud of scrap. Even the Fallen House of Wolves had bent to Mara's rule – it was a brutal, bloody fight against their Kell, but the Queen had felled him, and enslaved his warriors and servants, claiming the House as her own. From then on, she'd swiftly eliminated any potential threats to her rule, with her Spymaster's apprentices – his apprentices, mind you – infiltrating every part of the Reef. Nothing slipped past her attention. Dissenters developed a tendency to mysteriously disappear. Others got the hint, and for most part, it became a time of relative stability for the Reefborn.

Until that damned Guardian had come along, asking for their help to get into the Black Garden, of all places.

Oh, he'd done his best to dissuade his sister from doing something they'd come to regret later. The Awoken were safe in the relative obscurity of the Reef. There were few creatures who would dare brave their domain. And many more dangerous things existed out there, too. He'd hoped that when the Guardian had left to pick a fight with a Gate Lord, it'd be the last time he saw of her.

Alas, no such fortunate turn of events occurred. The human had returned with a Gate Lord's head, bold as you will. Even so, with the Vex's eye unusable, he'd been made to divulge the Black Garden's location by his sister.

And now, he found his patience tested by his sister's declaration that she was in love with the Guardian. To do so only because of the political benefits was something he could understand and approve of, but to know that Mara actually meant it was a maddening thought.

Moreso when he realised that they'd had sex pretty much right off the bat, which was beyond stupid in his opinion. There was love at first sight, and then there was... this. Did Mara not realise that the Guardian could exploit her in turn just as easily?

But then again, she'd smile when she thought he wasn't watching, her eyes growing distant, which was a relief of some degree – she'd become increasingly distant and cold even to him after her coronation, and while he did wish for his sibling to remain upon the throne, he did not wish for her to become a despot.

Perhaps this wasn't so bad a development.

He'd still watch the Titan like a hawk when possible, however. Just because his sister trusted her didn't mean he would, too.


	4. Chapter 4

_Guardian?_

Hm?

_We have guests._

Oh? Who is it? Jennifer paused in her task, it being mowing the overgrown lawn.

_Lord Shaxx, Arach Jalaal, Executor Hideo, and Lakshmi-2 have arrived to discuss your request. Lakshmi-2 is shouting at the front door, demanding that it opens. She is less than successful. I guess she has never had to use a door handle._

Wouldn't surprise me. The Tower's filled with automated doors, Jen chuckled to herself before cutting the lawnmower's engine. Her gait relaxed, she entered through the back door, already hearing the irate Exo's voice as she demanded passage. But the front door was and will remain an inanimate object, and thus did not budge.

"Lakshmi, if I may-"

"Do not say anything, Executor! I will handle this."

Ghost groaned internally at the latter sentence as he bobbed along, just above his Guardian's left shoulder. _Are you sure it was wise to invite the representatives of all three factions to your home? The Tower would've been a suitable neutral meeting ground as any._

I just wanted to see who'd be most eager to curry favour with Mara in order to gain access to Reef's databanks.

_What about Lord Shaxx, then?_

I think he's just here to see the other three chew each other out. For now, let us greet our guests. Humming to herself, she unlocked the door, and was promptly treated to the sight of Future War Cult's representative frozen mid-knock.

"Hello, Lakshmi-2. I trust you are well?" The Titan queried, briefly examining her visitors – at least they had the common sense to wear plain clothes. She imagined seeing Shaxx put a hole in her door with a single knock wouldn't go down too well with her neighbours. Even out of his armour, he cut an intimidating, commanding figure, grizzled hair cut short, steely eyes that hinted at horrors untold... He literally reeked of strength and willpower. Definitely not the type to disappear in a crowd.

"Yes, Guardian. I am merely unused to such rudimentary technology." The words prompted a chuckle from Shaxx as he went to shake Jennifer's hand. Though she was by no means short, the other Titan still was half a head taller. His grip was solid and unyielding.

But so was hers.

The unspoken duel was promptly ended by Hideo, who decided to speak up. "I do not mean to interrupt, but we were summoned here for a reason, am I right?" A moment later, Shaxx let go, giving a barely-perceptible nod of approval.

Oh, if only everything was as easy and straight-forward.

"Do come in and make yourselves comfortable, then. I know that some of you may feel inconvenienced by these summons, but I trust that we all can understand the gravity of the news I bring."

The three representatives sat down in the living room – each on their own separate piece of furniture. Even here, the rivalry simmered. Shaxx, however, chose to lean against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest as he silently nodded at Jennifer's question.

"Of course, Guardian. Up until recently, we knew next to nothing of what happened in the Reef. What few Guardians did dare to brave the dangers were either sent back empty-handed or were only allowed moments' worth of reprieve before having to return to Earth. We knew little of the Queen of the Reef, snippets of knowledge grasped from old and frayed Fallen House banners." Executor Hideo was the first to answer, his voice polite and friendly, as always. New Monarchy had chosen an excellent public speaker.

"Until you paid her a visit, that is. You obviously have impressed her in some way." Arach Jalaal interjected, forcing Jennifer to suppress a smile.

If only you knew...

_If they did, you'd be up to your nose in trouble, Guardian._

"That's all very fine and well, but you still haven't told us what the Queen is after." Lakshmi interrupted, impatience clear in her manner. Or maybe she was still upset about making a fool of herself in front of her peers.

"Obviously she is seeking to strengthen the political ties between the Reef and the City." Jalaal answered the question, a thoughtful look on his face. "But far as we know, she never does something unless it benefits her in some way. So tell us, Titan, what are her terms?"

"She requests aid for her subjects – as in food, water, and the like. Their own supplies are always stretched thin, and the Queen would certainly be grateful if we were to help." Jennifer replied in turn. "In return, she would share the Reef's knowledge with our Cryptarchs... among other things."

"Such as?" Shaxx spoke for the first time since arriving.

"They have several warp-capable vessels they've managed to recover from the Reef's wreckage field and re-purposed them as carriers capable fielding several squadrons of strike craft. I daresay that they've refined ambushes into a form of art. And, most importantly, the Fallen House of Wolves is at the Queen's beck and call."

Now _that_ made them listen up.

"The Queen killed their Kell and enslaved the rest of the House at some point in the past. I have little doubt that she'd be willing to share with us were we to provide adequate aid."

Jennifer noted, with some degree of amusement, that all three were leaning forward impatiently – it was well-known that the Reefborn knew of terrible, dark things that the Tower's Cryptarchs were eager to learn about. Anyone who would sate their curiosity would be rewarded greatly.

"However, this will be a joint effort, to represent that we of the Last City can work together, despite our differences. Dead Orbit shall provide the ships to ferry the cargo. New Monarchy shall provide the supplies requested, along with Future War Cult. And esteemed Lord Shaxx shall provide mentors and trainers for the Reef's militia, if he is inclined to do so."

The burly man looked at her, letting out a chuckle. "That all? Sure, I can do that. Be nice to find out how the Awoken have lasted on their own. Alright – I'll send some of my people along with this convoy."

"We're agreed, then?" Jennifer smiled, turning to regard everyone present, receiving several nods in return. "Good to know. We will set out for the Reef in a week, or whenever the preparations are finished. I will escort the ships with a couple of fellow Guardians to the Reef. Pays to be prepared, after all."

The meeting was adjourned not long after and her guests left, letting silence reign once more.

"I'd ask what you're up to, Titan, but I presume you won't be willing to explain me in-depth."

Well, most of them.

"You presume right, Lord Shaxx. But if it's any consolation, I'm only repaying a favour I owe to the Queen."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I've kept a secret or two for the sake of it. I'll be going now. Need to make a bet or two with Cayde. Take care, now." With that, the elder Titan left, humming a grim tune to himself, leaving Jennifer pondering his parting words.

Do you think he suspects something, Ghost?

_With the way things've been going ever since you went and got freaky with the Queen of the Reef, I'll be surprised if Old Man Murphy himself doesn't come along to beat you over the head with a flyswatter._

You're a very weird Ghost, you know that?

_You know, people living in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks, Guardian._

But... I don't live in a glass house. And if I did, why would I want to break it?

Ghost let out the sigh of a long-suffering saint. Not only were Titans all-too happy to punch every Dreg in their vicinity, they also took everything at face value. Sarcasm was largely lost on them and more often than not, double entendres passed clearly over their heads.

I heard that!

Rrrh.

* * *

Managing the Reef's supplies was very much like tending to several sets of scales. One would constantly have to keep swapping the weights around to keep all the scales level.

Much like that, Mara always dreaded the task of balancing whatever her raiders and scavengers brought back from outside the Reef's safety. The only vessels out there besides hers were either Fallen or Cabal. All were fair game. Though the Fallen carried little in the way of foodstuffs beyond Ether, it served to keep her own Fallen from starving to death. The Wolves' Prime Servitor had either disappeared or been destroyed, and without its guidance, the seldom few Servitors left under her command were inept at producing ample enough supply of Ether. The House of Wolves was a faint shadow of its former might, just a bunch of half-starved Dregs and Vandals, with the occasional Captain mixed in.

Just like the rest of her people... Birth control was ruthlessly enforced, and there were few families who had more than a single offspring. With so little to go around, food had to be strictly rationed. And hungry mouths were often the first to complain and rouse others to mutiny. And that was something the Reef as a whole needed the least.

Which was why she'd been beyond relieved to learn that a small fleet of Earth ships had been found by one of the perimeter patrols – and a very familiar-looking jumpship was among them.

"They have permission to land, Guard-Captain. I will be there to greet them in a couple of minutes."

"Understood, my Queen." Mara stood up, smoothing down her clothes, making sure she looked her best before leaving.

* * *

Even the biggest hangar bay wasn't spacious enough to accommodate the entirety of the Earth ships, and were idling just outside the forcefield that separated the void of space from the hangar. The various jumpships, being much smaller, had settled down without problems, their pilots milling about as they awaited their host. A crowd of Reefborn civilians had gathered about, murmuring among themselves, but they moved aside the moment their Queen arrived, flanked by two of her Guard. Instantly, everything grew quiet, aside from the thrum of machinery.

Jennifer took a step forward, her hands clasped behind her back, back ramrod straight as Mara stopped in front of her, her expression neutral.

"I return, and I have brought aid, Queen of the Reef."

Mara nodded, smiling wanly for a moment before turning to regard the civilians gathered behind her. "Let this day forever be remembered as the day when Earth and Reef no longer stood apart! From now on, they are our allies and we will be theirs."

The applause that followed was not what she'd expected, but certainly did wonders to assuage her worries. "Guards, have the deck crews assist in unloading the cargo from their transports." Receiving a pair of nods from the two guards, she turned to look at Jennifer. "Guardian, come with me, if you would. I wish to talk to you in private over some sensible matters."

Jennifer nodded silently and fell in step after the Awoken, though the guards shifted about uneasily at having been dismissed by their ruler. The Titan's footsteps echoed through the mostly-empty hallways as she cast a subtle glance at the other woman.

"So, uh..."

"We'll talk when we're in the privacy of my quarters, Guardian."

"Oh. Okay." Jennifer cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing else. For several more minutes, they walked in silence until they reached Mara's private quarters. The Awoken woman entered first, beckoning for Jennifer to follow. She did as told, shutting the door behind her. As she turned around, she was greeted to the sight of Mara grabbing hold of her armour's pauldrons – she had only a moment to process this before their lips met. Closing her eyes, she wrapped an armoured arm around Mara's waist, pulling her lover closer.

A long moment later, Jennifer pulled back, chuckling softly. "Well, if this is what you mean by talking, I could talk to you for the entire day..."

Mara gave a coy smile in return, combing her fingers through Jennifer's hair. "I wouldn't hold it against you, Guardian."

"Oh, about that? I've gotten myself an actual name. I am now known as Jennifer Irons."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Jennifer." Mara smiled before kissing her again. "I think that this name suits you. So, how about getting out of that armour?"

"Well, as much as I'd like to, I can't spend the entire day with you here, Mara. Surely there are things to sort out now, what with the relief supplies in need of distribution."

"I know, I know... I just want to... I don't even know what I want, honestly."

"I think I understand what you mean. Nice to know you aren't taking me for granted."

"Talking from personal experience, I see."

"Yeah." Jennifer released her hold, letting Mara tidy herself up. "'Guardians will always be there, the Guardians can protect us from everything.' But you can't exactly blame the City's population for perceiving it like that. We are, after all, the first and the last line of defence. But this is not the time for such talk. How are you handling things here?"

"Same as usual, but I do believe that I will loosen the measures that I've needed to enforce upon the population, now that you've brought us the supplies. It will do wonders to strengthen the ties between the Last City and the Reef. And you have my personal gratitude as well, Jennifer." She put extra emphasis on the last sentence, and was rewarded with a blush from the woman.

"Aheheh... I think I'll cash in that gratitude later..." Jennifer chuckled, her cheeks tinted red as she leaned down for another kiss, and was amply rewarded.

She'd intended to aid with the distribution of supplies. But Mara was providing a very compelling argument to stay where she was. And they'd both agreed to take it slow. But it wouldn't hurt to hurry things along just this once, right?

_Something something Murphy's Law._

As if on cue, the door was opened, and in walked the Queen's brother, who regarded the Guardian with a scathing glare before turning to look at his sister, who'd just finished disentangling herself from her lover's embrace.

"The unloading process is progressing smoothly, sister. There is a surprising amount of supplies delivered on so small a fleet - even a cache of Ether."

"We have few uses for Ether in the City – it was deemed the majority of it would be put to better use by the Reefborn." Jennifer replied, meeting the man's glare with a neutral gaze. "And there's also medical supplies, food, and construction materials like plasteel, along with other useful odds and ends. I trust you will find ways to put it all to good use."

"Without doubt, Guardian." Uldren replied snidely, his tempers rising for a moment when he saw Mara wrap an arm around the human's waist. "We've learned how to live frugally here."

"There'll be more such convoys in the future, if that is acceptable."

"I'll leave it to my sister to decide this. I do have something I need to talk to you about in private, Guardian."

Jennifer cocked an eyebrow at that, but followed after a nod from Mara, and the Awoken woman was left to her own devices. Until she heard one of the air vents begin to rattle. The noise grew louder before it was interrupted by a loud clang.

"Hrkjflg~ Gah, Traveler damn it!" A synthesised voice reached her ears, and she frowned, confused by this turn of events. A moment later, a blue cloud burst out from the nearest vent, reforming into a Ghost. Mara curiously eyed the hovering automata before speaking.

"Can I help you?"

"Let's get down to the brass tacks, Queen – I don't trust you." That made her pause.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Queen, quit playing dumb. We both know what I'm talking about." The Ghost replied testily, its white form bobbing up and down as it spoke. "I don't know what's going on between you my Guardian and you, but be assured that I will know if you do anything untoward."

Though her ire rose from being addressed so disrespectfully, she maintained a calm demeanour. "And I can assure you that I will do no such thing, Ghost. Strange as it may sound to you, Jennifer has found a special place in my heart and we've agreed not to rush things, if that is any consolation."

"It isn't. Considering how lacking her social skills are, I doubt you'd have any problem with making her jump at every chance to do something for you."

Mara glared at the Ghost, but said nothing, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I hope I do not have to explain you what sort of trouble you'd be in if news got out that the Queen of the Reef was toying with a Guardian for her own gain..."

"Is that a threat, Ghost?" Mara's eyes narrowed as she scowled at the automata.

"Merely a reminder that I will not hesitate to act should the need arise to do so."

"Then let me be frank with you, too – I do not deny any of the accusations you raise against me. I have done many questionable things in the past and manipulated others for my own gain. But I am willing to do my utmost best to be a better person for Jennifer. I doubt machinations will benefit anyone from this day on."

"That so, huh?"

"Yes. I am not asking you to accept this immediately or without complaints, Ghost. And I already had this very same discussion with my brother."

"He did not approve, I assume."

"Exactly. Tell you what, why don't you go and find him, and tell him to send Jennifer my way. I've important business to discuss with her."

"Right, how could I forget? Playing tonsil tennis with her is obviously something you cannot delay."

Mara could feel the aneurysm coming on. Hell, Ghost could feel Mara feel the aneurysm coming on. Before she could retort, however, he zoomed back inside the vent, leaving the fuming Awoken to her own devices. Mara took a deep sigh to calm herself. And just in time, too – the door opened, letting a slightly-dazed Jennifer inside.

"I think your brother just gave me the verbal equivalent of a punch to the face."

"Oh?"

"There was a lot of subdued grumbling of death threats, scowling at me while he thought I wasn't looking... you know, the usual. Didn't seem too happy with me, as ever."

"He rarely is in a good mood. He means well, but sometimes his suspicion of outsiders is turned up to eleven, as the saying goes."

"Especially when a Guardian from Earth is in a relationship with his sister?"

"Especially when a Guardian from Earth is in a relationship with his sister." Mara offered a wan smile to the other woman. "Well, now that that's out of the way, what say you tell me what you've been up to?" She gestured for Jennifer to walk with her, and her Titan fell in step at Mara's side.

"Well, I bought a house in one of the City's more rural districts. A home away from home if there ever was one. And, believe it or not, even managed to get the three factions to work together for once." Mara cocked an intrigued eyebrow at that as Jennifer spoke. "New Monarchy wants to turn the City in a dictatorship, benevolent or not. Future War Cult wants to carve a bloody swathe through our enemies, but are more or less sitting on a pile of secrets they refuse to share with anyone else. Dead Orbit wants to look for means of saving humanity elsewhere than Earth, and leave everything else behind."

"Really?"

"Don't get me wrong, all three present valid reasons as to why they would be well-suited to lead. It's just that remaining neutral in these times is not a very appealing option. Either faction will try to vie for your approval in one way or another. But I'm getting off-track. Anyways, I only had to tell you'd be generous with valuable knowledge if they were to partake in this endeavour. They fell for it hook, line and sinker."

Mara snickered at that, lightly smacking the Guardian's shoulder. "That's so horrible and under-handed, Jennifer."

"I learnt from the best." Her lover replied without missing a beat, a sly smirk on her face, making Mara laugh.

"Now that's even worse. But I will gladly share our knowledge. When one lives on the proverbial blade of a sword for centuries, one learns many dark and terrible secrets. I think it'll do everyone a world of good if this knowledge was delivered to those who can make actual sense of it. My archivists are good, but they are no cryptarchs."

"Well, then I'm certain Master Rahool and his apprentices are going to be forever grateful to you. He rewards those who bring valuable knowledge to the Tower."

* * *

Uldren hoped his words would stick with the Guardian. If not, well, you couldn't say he didn't warn her.

_*clank*_

"Ow!" He recoiled as something small hit him in the forehead. Growling quietly, he reached up to rub the sore spot, glaring at...

"The Guardian's Ghost."

"The Queen's Brother." Ghost retorted. "Just a bit of advice – trying to talk actual sense into Jennifer is like beating your head against a wall. Breaking it down will give you a great sense of accomplishment which is just as well, because by then all your others senses will be gone."

"She has a name now? Great. Am I to expect them calling each other pet names or something?" Uldren shuddered.

"Unlikely. She's about as knowledgeable considering normal life as Master Rahool when it comes to pre-Golden age German. But let us not tempt fate, for once."

"Agreed." Just then, Ghost shuddered, letting out several weird noises. Uldren cocked an eyebrow, and Ghost decided to elaborate, seeing the questioning look. "Uh, when a Ghost brings a Guardian back to life, they are bonded forever. A Ghost knows, feels, hears and sees what his Guardian does, and vice versa. Just now, your sister commented on Jennifer's looks. She appreciated the compliment."

"Wait, so you felt that appreciation?"

"Yep."

"And, back when they first-"

"Yep."

There were few times when Uldren felt sympathy for someone else than himself or his sister.

This was one of those times.


	5. Chapter 5

"I want to get off this wild ride, Guardian." Ghost groused, as was his custom. The storms thundered far behind the lone woman perched on the corner of a half-collapsed building. Sewage sloshed through the narrow alleys far below her feet.

The outer sectors of the City had been abandoned in the aftermath of the Battle of the Twilight Gap, turned into fortifications and gun positions, in case they faced another attack. No one but foolhardy scavengers wandered here.

Today, a Titan had also showed up there.

"If you're looking for a way to get your kicks, we can always go to the Crucible."

"Nah."

"Guardian, you do know that there's a limit to a Ghost's resurrection range, right?"

"Yep."

"And you're still going to do this."

"Yep."

Thunder boomed, closer now. The storms surrounding the Last City were stirred up in the aftermath of Twilight Gap. Many thought it was Traveler's work. Either way, the savage typhoons turned everything outside the Wall into a freezing, muddy mess for kilometres, denying any chance of a ground assault. The baleful winds and bolts of lightning struck down anything aloft that wasn't City's.

Sometimes, the sluices and gates would need to be opened to drain the excess water away and reduce the burden on the Wall's foundations. This excess was channelled through the abandoned districts whenever needed. In turn, this had unseated many of the buildings that remained upright after the Twilight Gap, turning whole districts into duracrete deathtraps slash mazes.

Jennifer grinned as she saw the white foam heralding the imminent arrival of an unstoppable stream of water. Her heart beating faster, she took off at a slow jog, her boots thumping softly across the weather-worn surface of the derelict building. The dull roar of the approaching floodstream gave her chills and she sprinted faster. As she approached the roof's edge, she could already feel Light rumble inside her in anticipation. With a grunt, she jumped, a white glow enveloping her body as she boosted herself across the gap, her Light-given ability giving the Titan's jump a considerable increase in distance.

Her boots threw up a cloud of dust as she landed, disturbing the tiny shards and rocks covering the roof, but she was already moving again, sprinting as fast as she could by now. The flood chased after her, toppling everything in its path. Heavy raindrops began to fall, slowly at first, but it didn't take long for the drizzle to become a veritable downpour, soaking the Titan thoroughly. Fired up by the primeval adrenaline high, she didn't care or notice.

She also almost didn't notice how the current building had begun to unwillingly leave its foundations. The sudden creak of duracrete was almost immediately followed by the old surface buckling and she almost stumbled, but regained control long enough to boost herself into air again, landing on something less precarious. Wasting no time, she resumed her mad dash across the desolate landscape.

Ghost!

_Eey?_

Everything ready on the other end?

_More or less, yeah._

Good job. Jennifer chuckled lowly as she saw where the ruins abruptly ended and put every last bit of her stamina into speeding up. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, there was an annoying stabbing feeling somewhere below her lungs, she had no idea whether the roof was going to give way under her feet or not, and she loved the rush of adrenaline it sent coursing through her body.

_Almost there, Guardian. On my mark..._

There was a low rumble as a solitary jumpship soared out from the Tower, approaching at hypersonic speeds, covering the not-inconsiderable distance in mere moments. Jennifer kept the craft in her field of view as it swung in low and fast, only metres above the few more structurally stable derelicts.

_Now!_

With a yell, she jumped one last time, the building collapsing mere seconds after her feet left it – the Titan found herself sailing through air, weightless for a moment before gravity reasserted its authority and she fell.

The freefall lasted only for a moment as she disintegrated in a cloud of blue light, returning to her corporeal form a second later inside her jumpship's cockpit. Quickly, she gripped the controls and set to work – the engines roared with renewed power as she escaped the rumbling waters.

"That was awesome! We need to do that again, and soon!"

"How about no?" Ghost popped into existence above her shoulder.

"Spoilsport."

* * *

She'd disembarked a ways off from her home, letting her ship's autopilot fly it back to the Tower. With the rainstorm still going strong, she'd had no choice but to jog through it back to her domicile. Still, it was a relaxing experience, to hear the rain patter in the trees lining the streets. It wasn't quite like outrunning a flood, but it was nice nonetheless.

_We've got company._

Who?

There was a mewling sound and Jennifer felt something brush against her legs. Grinding to a halt, she looked downwards, only to see a little beast there, its fur utterly soaked.

What's that?

_It's a cat._

What's a cat?

_An animal. Just keep going and ignore it. It'll go away soon._ The Titan frowned but said nothing, resuming her walk, acutely aware of the cat trailing after her.

The door clicked shut, shutting the rain outside as she slumped against the wall – the ache from such exertion was already beginning to set in. She totally should've stretched afterwards. Humming to herself, she put a kettle on to boil, tossing her damp clothes on top of the washing machine.

Living on her own had its advantages – such as being able to gallivant around her home in underwear, moreso when the curtains were drawn shut. Humming an upbeat tune to herself, she slipped fresh, clean clothes on before retrieving her coffee from the kitchen.

_Scrape scrape._

"Huh?"

_Scrape._

Wary, Jennifer wandered over to the large glass door that led out into the backyard, pulling the curtains back a bit, then fully as she saw the golden beams of sunlight showing through the clouds. Frowning, she leaned closer-_scrippascrappa._

"Where's that noise coming from?" She wondered aloud.

_WHEN YOU COME TO IT AND YOU CAN'T GO DO IT AND YOU CAN'T KNOCK IT DOWN YOU KNOW THAT YOU FOUND THE WALL THE WALL THE WALL_

Her coffee splashed across the floor as she fell on her ass.

"Holy tapdancing Traveller in a handbasket, Ghost! What was that for?" The automata winked into existence in front of her, chuckling.

"That was for dragging me to that abandoned district earlier. And blaspheming just now." Humming something to the effect of 'smooth criminal', Ghost floated off, obviously very pleased with himself, leaving the bewildered Titan to her own devices. It wasn't long before she came up with the perfect comeback.

What if doorbells went 'dong, ding' instead of 'ding, dong'?

Ghost could be heard screaming something inane from the storage locker.

Content, Jennifer began to clean up the mess when the scratching noise returned. With a resigned sigh, she turned to look outside, finally seeing the culprit.

The cat from before was scratching plaintively at the glass, giving Jennifer a sad look and she found her heart sinking some at seeing the soaked animal. Standing up, she went over and opened the door. The cat looked around suspiciously, before slowly tiptoeing inside and looking up at her.

"Well, I guess I have a cat now."

"Mreaow."

* * *

Sal looked up from her drink, her eyes widening momentarily in surprise – and awe - as she saw someone approach her table. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, she continued to twirl her knife with her left hand, the finely-sharpened blade dancing gracefully.

"Guess who's coming?" She tried to strike up a conversation with the other Guardian, an Awoken Warlock sitting on the other side of the table.

"Me if you keep using those fingers correctly." Nara responded, without missing a beat – the reaction was immediate. The rookie Hunter dropped her knife, regarding the Warlock with a speechless, wide-eyed gaze. The raven-haired woman snickered as Sal stammered incoherently, trying to come up with a retort to the less-than-subtle offer. She was less than successful, moreso considering she didn't know whether Nara was serious or not. It was always hard to tell with her.

Luckily, she was saved by the very same Guardian she'd spotted mere moments ago.

"Keeping busy, I see." Nara turned to see Jennifer standing at her shoulder, a bemused smile on her face.

"Jennifer! Good to see you!" The Awoken turned to face the blushing, fidgeting Sal. "Looks like we'll have to cut this short, Sal. Don't forget, we've still got that patrol later on."

The Hunter nodded briskly, then made her escape. Nara chuckled to herself as Jennifer took the newly-vacated chair. "So, what've you been up to since that trip out to the Reef, Jen?"

The Titan's relaxed manner waned somewhat. "I keep having dreams. Except they're more like nightmares."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... I'm guessing it's something from before my becoming a Guardian. There's a bunch of people following me – soldiers, I guess – and we're charging up a bombed-out highway. I look behind us, and there's these vicious-looking things chasing after us. I'd guess that was the Hive, but I wouldn't bet on me being right. I look up, and I can see the Cosmodrome's wall, bristling with gun emplacements. The road's filled with burning and abandoned cars, and there's so many people dying. The Cosmodrome's gate is closed. Obviously no one else is going to get in. And then the Wall's turrets open up and cut me and everything behind me down. I fall against a burning car wreck and the last thing I see before I die is colony ships taking off. Dozens of them. And then I wake up, covered in cold sweat."

"That's rather grim, Jen. How long've you had these dreams?"

"On and off ever since Ghost resurrected me. Depends, really."

"Well, if I can help, just ask. I know you're no thanatonaut or a Warlock, but there still has to be something that could help. I'll ask around. It could be a sign of some sort."

"Thanks, Nara. I appreciate it. Oh, visit me again sometime. I have a cat now."

"What's a cat?"

"Drop by and I'll show you." Jen smirked as she stood up, causing the other woman to roll her eyes.

"Alright, alright." Nara's smile waned as she leaned forwards, whispering to the Titan. "Were I you, I'd tread lightly in the coming days. There's talk about Future War Cult – rumour mill has it they're eager to have you support their cause and won't hesitate to accomplish this aim with less-than-reputable means. New Monarchy and Dead Orbit are raising similar queries. Someone of your status will be forced to choose a side sooner or later. I'll wager you'd prefer to do so of your own volition. You've set great things in motion ever since you arrived at the Tower – not everyone will be glad to see the current situation change."

"I'll keep that in mind. See you around."

* * *

"Just let me make sure I heard this right, Titan – you want to be the official representative of the Reefborn?"Cayde queried surprisedly, his brows rising in surprise. "Wouldn't that one emissary, Petra Venj, work just as fine?"

"She's not a diplomat – her task was only to reward those who would carry out the Queen's bounties."

"Don't know if anyone's ever told you, Titan, but you're not much of a diplomat, either." Zavala interjected, a faint, but good-natured smirk on his face.

"That is true, Commander. But she was the one who cemented the relationship between the City and the Reef as more than just simmering distrust. Master Rahool reports that his apprentices are hard at work with the knowledge the Queen has given to us." The Speaker added his two cents, the sagely man's voice as calm and collected as ever.

"She has had more interaction with the Queen than any of us combined. There is little doubt she would know how to keep the peace. And she's a renowned hero – people will listen to her, and see reason where tempers and prejudices might cloud their judgement. " Ikora Rey spoke, the seasoned Warlock's manner as composed as befitting of her station.

Heh, if only you knew.

_Guardian, I swear-_

"It is decided, then. Jennifer Irons shall continue as usual. If any difficulties arise between the City and the Reef, you are to help in solving them. Discretionary funds and supplies will be made available to you. I know you must've heard this many times before, but remain wary of the Queen. No doubt she holds the more darker secrets close to her chest."

Well, she has a nice chest, so at least there's that.

_Can you not, Guardian? It's already enough that I have to live with your memories._

"I shall do my best to ensure that this alliance is long-lasting, in that case." She bowed to the masked figure, then to the Vanguards in turn.

"I know you will, Guardian. You've been a great help in the past – I doubt you'll disappoint us now. I'll be sure to notify you if any problems arise."

"Of course."

* * *

"Seems like it was so long ago you found me out here."

"That it does, Guardian."

"Ghost? I have a question. What do you see when you look at me?"

"A lousy, stubborn Titan who, against all common sense, somehow keeps finding trouble."

"Flatterer."

"But I also see a shining beacon of the Traveler - it sings to you and your Light responds in kind. Long as you remain true to yourself, your Light will only grow in strength."

"That's so sappy. Who are you and what've you done with my Ghost?"

_clank_

"Ow!"

"And you also never know when to keep your mouth shut. You're less tactful than a Cabal Centurion who's been force-fed ten litres of combat stims and slapped across his genitals with a red-hot cattle prod."

"The Cabal have-"

"**It's a metaphor, Guardian."**

"It's not much of a metaphor."

"Aaaarh-"


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, would you look at that – an Awoken that isn't awoken."

"Guh?" Mara jolted awake with a snort, scattering a small stack of reports from her table. Blinking blearily, she looked up at the hooded figure in front of her. Two automata in the shape of crows peered at her from its shoulder. Two gloved hands reached up, pulling the hood back, revealing Uldren's vaguely amused face.

"Sleeping on the job again, are we?"

"It was just a couple of reports..." The Queen yawned, sitting upright as she rubbed her eyes. Apprehension took hold in her mind as she saw the two crows on her brother's shoulder. "You bring news, then? Tell me they are a good sort." He gave a light scoff at that.

"Depends on your definition of good news. With the City's supplies distributed among the populace, unrest has died down immensely. The news of receiving more will most likely keep them docile in the future. The nobles are a whole another can of worms, however." At seeing his sister cock a questioning eyebrow, he continued. "It's an Earth metaphor – one that is fitting enough. Most of the noble houses have stopped their attempts to sway the commoners over to their cause. You're the one who lifted both the martial law and rationing of food your predecessor ordered – anything that might be seen as untoward to you will only have the simple folk side with you, not your opposition. Of course, some hardliners are... less than happy that you've shared knowledge with the Last City. Such troublemakers will need to be... pacified."

"I've managed to secure an alliance with Earth, and alleviated the strain on our stockpile of resources. Not only that, we've got some of their Guardians helping shape our militia into something more formidable." Angered, the woman stood up, pacing around the room. "And still they stir up trouble?" Her gaze turning cold, she turned to face Uldren. "Who are the dissidents?"

The Spymaster suppressed a smile – that's the Queen he'd wanted to see. "Houses Aeglyta, Emrinth, and T'Zalki."

Mara let out a low groan – Haakon, the eldest son of House Emrinth had been after her hand in marriage for quite a while now. The matriarch of the House was now sick and elderly, and had next to no say in how her holdings were ruled. No doubt the that smarmy bastard of hers was behind this.

"Find out who are the true culprits – dig up whatever dirt on them that we can use to coerce them into cooperation. And if blackmail doesn't work, well... Accidents might happen in the near future."

"As you command, Your Grace." Uldren shooed the crows away – the automata squawked as they skittered inside a vent, soon disappearing from sight. With a silent sigh, he bent down, picking up whatever Mara had swatted from the table during her abrupt awakening.

Heh. An Awoken awakening.

"I can see on your face that you've a question for me, brother. Speak, if you wish to."

"Nothing gets past you, sister dearest. Yes, I've some concerns on my mind – mainly about your-"

"Uldren, I feel like a broken record saying this, but I am not going to break it off with Jennifer. You'll just have to learn to live with it. And not annoy her to the point she punches you. Titans are, I've been told, notorious for being a very punch-happy sort. One of their number, Saint-14, caved a Kell's head in with a single headbutt. Killed him instantly."

"Ah."

"Exactly. Now, you don't have to, but you should talk to the Guardians who're here – it'll be a learning experience, I wager. Contrary to your opinion, they're not, quote, Light-filled braggarts, unquote. They're just like us, having held onto life with all of their determination and conviction."

Uldren scowled – how did his sister know of that?

"You're not the only one who can spy on people, dear brother." Mara smirked smugly.

"Wait – did you just imply that you'd let her punch me if it came to that?"

A smirk was the only answer he got.

* * *

Cat sat on top of the shelf, hissing irately at the overly-happy Labrador barking up at it. The dog was barking cheerfully, obviously happy to meet Cat. Cat, however, wasn't in a similar mood.

"Come on, Charlie, leave the poor thing alone!" Helena drew the dog's attention – its tail wagging, the dog cantered over to her, sitting down at her side. Jennifer took the chance to retrieve Cat, carrying the cat over to a window and letting it outside.

"Sorry about that, Jen – Charlie really likes to make new friends." Helena apologized sheepishly, scratching the dog between its ears.

"Don't worry about it. So, what was it you wanted to say? I kind of missed it when your dog took off after my cat."

"Ah, that. Me and Lucy are having a bit of a get-together with some of our friends in two weeks. Want to come with?"

"Are you sure? I'm not exactly a people person – I'll just stand around quietly and be awkward." Jennifer responded sheepishly. "And I'm only familiar with you and your sister. Haven't really had time to socialise."

"Well, then this'll be your chance to get to know more people, Jen. Come on, it'll be fun."

"Well, who'll make sure Cat doesn't go hungry in the meanwhile?"

"Jen, has she brought any dead mice or such back recently?"

"Twice, yeah."

"I think your cat's implying you might starve to death if she doesn't bring dead rodents back home." Helena snickered. "Cats are weird like that, but they can take care of themselves."

"I'll take your word for it. Count me in, then."

"Sweet! I'll drop by when the party's due, okay?"

"Sure." Jennifer replied, smiling.

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I'll be going. See ya!" Helena intoned cheerfully as she left, the equally happy-go-lucky dog trailing after her.

_Well, look at that. You actually held a conversation that didn't involve punching someone. Oh, they grow up so fast..._

Shush, you.

* * *

Helena hummed to herself as she walked back to her home. She was glad she'd managed to convince Jennifer to get out a bit. While a friendly sort, the woman seemed quite lonely, living on her own as she was.

Perhaps, if she had anything to say about it, her neighbour wouldn't be all that lonely in the near future...

* * *

"So, what was this city called, again?"

"One moment, Guardian. I'm double-checking." Ghost chirped as Jennifer's jumpship soared above the dilapitated towers that once were bustling with life. Literally everything was reclaimed by vegetation. "If I'm reading this right, this was an important city even before the Golden Age – it was called London."

"London? Huh. Anything else?"

"Not really, no. Let's find somewhere to set down."

"I hear that." She nodded in agreement, working the controls. The rumble of engines changed its pitch as she reduced her altitude. A minute later, she felt her body dissipate and reassemble on the ground. As her jumpship came to a rest on the ground behind her, she removed her helmet, taking a deep breath – the canned air from her craft's supply was nothing like the real thing. "Well, then, Ghost – any idea where exactly are we in London?"

"Uh, give me a moment – I'll see if I can scan anything in the near vicinity." The small machine replied, the pieces of its shell rapidly orbiting the sphere of blue light surrounding its core. "Let's see here... Well, we're in London, that much we know already. As for a more specific location, er... a museum of some sorts. Or something along those lines."

"What's a museum?"

"Think of the Archive back on Venus, only smaller and open to general public."

"Shall we take a look, then?"

"By all means, Guardian. Chances are we might recover something of value – humans were real sticklers for their history. A museum would be built to last."

"Let's get going, in that case." She stuck her helmet back on, and followed after her Ghost towards the waypoint he'd stuck on her HUD.

* * *

"No power? I can handle it." Before Ghost had even so much as a chance to suggest an alternative approach, the Titan had stuck her armoured palm into the small gap. Grunting with effort, she forced the doors open – they opened, albeit unwillingly, letting out tortured shrieks and judders only rusted metal could. Though all Guardians were physically stronger than a normal human, Exo or Awoken, Titans had gotten the lion's share – and their might was only amplified by the heavy armour they wore. A door that was rusted shut would only slightly impede a Titan's progress.

"You know, we're lucky we picked up no Fallen on our way here. That noise would've turned this place into a hornet's nest before you could so much as blink." The Titan made an indistinct noise in return as she finished her task and strode inside. Sighing, Ghost followed her, lighting the place up with its built-in spotlight.

"You know, I just realised something, Ghost."

"Hm?"

"I've never given you a name. Most Guardians name theirs."

"Well, I don't assign any specific worth or importance to a means of identification. But I guess it'd be useful to have an actual name – a Ghost is what I am, not who I am."

"So, uh, I could basically name you anything?"

"Anything, as long as it's not Dinklebot."

"How about, um..." Jennifer scratched the top of her helmet in thought as they wandered around in the gloomy, poorly-lit hallways, looking for something of value. "What do you think of Artemis? Or Arcturus? Sorry, I'm not really good at this whole naming thing."

"I'll say – you named your cat Cat. Doesn't get any less imaginative than that." Jennifer grumbled sourly at that.

"I think I'll just name you Dinklebot, then."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

"I'll just stop tempting fate."

"Good choice."

* * *

The Titan and her Ghost stared up quietly at the hulk of metal squatting on a hefty pedestal in front of them – a pair of broad metal wings extended from both sides of a fuselage that seemed anything but aerodynamic. Four huge engines rested in the wings, two on each side, and the entire thing was either a very dark green or just plain black. It was hard to tell.

"So, any idea what this is, Ghost?"

"Well, it's obviously an aircraft of some sort."

"Golden Age?"

"Nope. I detect no plasteel, relic iron, or even spinmetal in its hull. By its age, I'd bet it was built _way_ before the Golden Age."

"Wouldn't it have rusted to dust already by now?"

"Doubtful. It's obviously something important from history – something like it wouldn't just be left to fade into obscurity."

"So let's take it back to the Tower! Master Rahool's going to faint from sheer joy." Ghost looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

"I don't know if you heard me, but I just said it's of pre-Golden Age make. Which means I cannot interface with it in the least – I'd have no point of reference to use. And I doubt that more than half a millennia of disuse will have done it any favours. And, guessing from its size, it'll take more than just the two of us to get it back to the Last City. It also isn't powered by conventional energy sources like your jumpship, which means we've got no way of getting it to move on its own. And no, you can't get Happy Boomer to blow a hole in the wall – you'd just bring the rest of the place down on top of your head trying to make an exit big enough. You'll just have to find something smaller. Maybe someday we'll get Holliday here. She'd know what to do, hopefully."

"Okay, okay, Buzz Killington – we'll do it your way." Jen turned to leave, but paused as she saw something on the ponderous-looking aircraft's side. Rows of simplified images of bombs, followed by a single sentence.

_NO ENEMY PLANE WILL FLY_

_OVER THE REICH TERRITORY_

"Huh. Wonder what that's mean." Shrugging after a moment, she followed Ghost deeper into the museum.

* * *

The exploration lasted for several hours, at the least. During that time, the pair saw more relics of an age long past. Ghost restored a number of plaques that gave them information about what they were looking at. Turned out, the museum was for many a wartime aircraft, though Ghost was certain none of them were used in actual combat for quite a while. Of course, that didn't do much to improve her mood – whenever Jennifer found something she wanted to take back to the Last City, Ghost would always found a flaw in the chosen flier.

That 'Mustang's' wheels were little more than lumps of rubber.

This 'Flying Fortress' was, as with the other heavy bomber, too big.

And so on and so forth...

"Well, what about this one?" She thrust the plaque into Ghost's face, her voice tinged with more than a little desperation. Grumbling, the AI blew a bit of Glimmer onto it, and set to restoring it. A few moments later, he was finished and read aloud from it.

"Supermarine Spit... er... Spit-something. Okay, I guess even Glimmer can't fix that one." Humming, the automata flew over to the aircraft in question, beginning a comprehensive scan on it, leaving his Guardian waiting impatiently. Once he was finished, he flew back over to the Titan.

"Well, it's in a better condition than most of the other aircraft here. But we'll definitely need Glimmer."

"Then transmat some from the jumpship."

"I'm guessing it'll take up most of what we have on-board. Whatever fuel it ran on has evaporated long ago, but I detected some residue in the tank. I'll scan it and see if I can convert some Glimmer into a suitable fuel. The hull's mostly untouched, but it will need reinforcing with Glimmer, as well some other key areas."

"What happened to no reference point?"

"First, this one's smaller than that big hunk of metal. And repair and maintenance are much simpler to do on a smaller scale.."

"So, does this mean we're taking it with us?"

"Guess it does. You'll have to fly it out, however, so you better find a manual or something."

* * *

They'd found the manuals in the chosen fighter's cockpit. Jennifer had gone to dutifully read them in their entirety, while Ghost had committed them to his own memory banks as well, and was well on his way to making the aircraft serviceable once more.

None of that mattered to Happy Boomer. Soon, it'd be allowed to do what it loved the most – blowing things up. It would only be a small section of a wall, but to it, that was irrelevant. Blowing things up was.

You just gotta do what you love.

* * *

"Guardian, I feel dumber for having so much as touched this stupid thing. It's so damned primitive and unsophisticated! If I spend any more time here, I think I'll just devolve into punch cards and vacuum tubes."

"Well, that's your problem, not mine. Did you fix it?"

"Far as I can tell, yes. Now, let's get it outside."

"You don't have to tell me twice, Ghost!" Jennifer replied happily. Quickly, she slipped under the plane and lifted it upwards, supporting it with her back and arms. It was times like these that she appreciated being a Titan. Even so, it was a hefty weight to lug around. Grunting with effort, she carefully lifted it off its pedestal, slowly lowering the whole thing onto the floor. The plane's undercarriage creaked as its weight was fully supported by its three wheels and the Titan slowly pushed it towards the wall.

"See, Ghost? I'm thinking smart!"

Her companion decided not to dignify that exclamation with a response.

* * *

The tranquil silence was interrupted as a sizeable chunk of the wall ceased to exist, the rocket's sub-munitions taking care of any bigger pieces of rubble. Once the smoke and dust cleared out some, Jennifer pushed the Spitfire outside, the antique plane bouncing jauntily as its wheels rolled over chunks of concrete.

"Ghost, transmat my armour plates to the jumpship. I doubt this thing's built to carry a pilot that weighs more than half a ton." A moment later the battle-tested parts disappeared and she slowly pulled the fighter's canopy backwards, careful not to rip it off by accident. Gingerly, she climbed in and sat down in the pilot's seat, relieved that nothing broke as she did so. With equal care, she slid the canopy shut, locking it in place. She eyed the controls, murmuring to herself as she went through the start-up procedure the manuals had so helpfully described.

"Main battery on... Oil tank open... Fuel and ignition on... Magnetos on... Fuel mix fully open... And now..." She sighed nervously, taking a calming breath as her fingers hovered over the starter and coil boost buttons. Ghost'd assured her everything was in working order. Still, doubt lingered. "Well, here goes nothing."

Soon as she pressed down and held the two buttons, she almost got a heart attack as the huge engine juddered and coughed, the propeller spinning erratically, as if annoyed that it was forced to move, and she couldn't help but cringe at the pathetic whine the starter motor was making as it tried to wake the ancient powerplant. Ghost had warned her it'd take a couple of moments for the engine to start, but it was still unnerving.

Without warning, puffs of thick black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipes as the propeller began to spin at a steady, fast pace – the exhaust smoke soon lost its ominous darkness as the engine rumbled rhythmically. The noise would've been deafening if not for her helmet.

Ghost! Ghost, it worked!

_I don't want to say 'I told you so', but I told you so._

Right, then! Let's go back home!

Confidence growing, Jennifer slowly pushed the throttle to full, relishing how the engine's rumble turned into a fierce roar. The plane's hull trembled with unbound power as it started to roll down the grassy, overgrown plain, slowly gathering speed. It was so different from her jumpship – whereas it could be airborne in mere moments and its fusion core made its presence known by a subdued humming, the Spitfire was loud and boastful. It lacked any manner of inertial dampeners, meaning she was pressed into the seat by the acceleration. The control yoke was firmly held in her grasp, her feet rested in the rudder pedals, and her heart was beating mile a minute in anticipation as the plane rolled along the vaguely even surface, gaining speed with every passing moment. Once the speedometer dial passed a certain point, she pulled back – the nose slowly, but surely rose into air. The altimeter also ticked into life, the numbers on it increasing.

Chuckling with relief, Jennifer eased the throttle back-_Not yet, Guardian!_

Why?

_This isn't a jumpship with vectored thrust engines – you need to maintain a high enough airspeed during take-off so the airflow around the wings provides sufficient lift. Didn't you read the manuals?_

Er...

_You didn't read the manuals._

She flicked a switch, making the landing gear retract as Ghost gave her the go-ahead to ease back on the power. The rumbling roar evened out, just as her jumpship caught up with her, piloted by Ghost.

Ghost?

_Yes?_

How do I landing gear?

_Traveler, give me strength..._

* * *

Their return hadn't gone unnoticed. The thunderstorms surrounding the Last City had jostled and rattled the ancient craft, but they'd made it through no worse for the wear. The City's interceptors that had come after the rogue flier had been more than a little unnerving a sight, but they'd been more than happy to escort them to a suitable landing area once the initial confusion had passed. Their wariness was understandable, really. It wasn't every day that something like this happened.

Master Rahool had been excited about their find, in the same way a Titan is excited to see a line of punchable Dregs lined up, just for his/her enjoyment. Speaker himself congratulated her on retrieving something from humanity's past – it'd been agreed that there would be more excursions to the distant museum, to recover whatever they could before the Fallen came across it.

As for the Titan herself, she quietly returned to her home, her Glimmer cache replenished by the grateful cryptarchs.

"Guardian?"

"Hmm?"

"I've received a message, one that's addressed for you."

"What's it say?"

"The gist of it is that Queen of the Reef invited you to a ball she's organising, as a means to celebrate the recently-minted alliance between the City and the Reef."

"That it? I can do that."

"There is one requirement, though – formal clothing required."

"Aaaaaarh-"


	7. Chapter 7

In her previous visits to Reef, Jennifer had seen little beyond the royal palace, and even then it was a small part.

At the moment, however, the preparations for the celebration were still under way, leaving her free to wander around the civilian districts with Ghost in tow. Built from naught but the ancient derelicts of the ships who tried to escape during Collapse, the Reef had grown in the centuries since that fateful day. Great domes of glass and plasteel were built to establish public areas like markets, hospitals, hydroponics gardens and more. It hadn't been an easy task, but it had been a necessary one – being self-sufficient was paramount this far out. But the queens of the Reefborn had done everything needed to ensure their people's survival, and for a while, they lived – if not without fear of the Darkness, then at least with the hope that they could remain hidden among the wreckage field.

Until the House of Wolves had found them.

Mara had only recently asserted her regency when the Fallen Ketch had appeared on the edge of their sensors. It had blasted through their fighter patrols, and sent many Skiffs to board the space station. However, they were met with fierce resistance – the Awoken knew that their lives were at stake here, and fought tooth and nail to drive back the invaders. The battle had culminated in their Kell's death when Mara decapitated the hulking Fallen with his own sword after a protracted firefight. The Wolves' Prime servitor had disappeared or been destroyed during the fighting. With much of their chain of command gone, the remainder of the Fallen forces had been trivially easy to mop up.

Mara's decision was swift and merciless – the Fallen were fitted with explosive collars and pressed into undoing the damage they'd caused. From there on, it'd been a tenuous rule – the Wolves had caused much grief to the populace, unsettling the peace. The noble houses saw it as a chance to jockey for the throne, and sought to convince the commoners to back them instead of their regent. The more they caused trouble, the tighter Mara squeezed, ordering more than a few hits on the troublemakers. The Reef was like a powder keg, and Mara was more or less flicking flints at it. News that the Black Garden's Heart was growing stronger, along with Jennifer's arrival to the Reef had been a welcome respite, giving the Reef's populace something else to gossip about.

Ever since the recent declaration of the alliance, things had calmed down immensely. With the supplies being distributed among the populace, and knowing there was more on the way, the people had regained faith in their ruler. With the situation improving, the populace had taken back to the streets. Merchants and traders of all kinds plied their trade to potential buyers, while others enjoyed a day off or such – life had returned in earnest to the Reef.

It was in these streets that Jennifer found herself, wandering aimlessly. It wasn't like she could buy anything, either, considering that the Reef's economy wasn't built upon Glimmer. And she didn't feel like asking Mara for any spending money was good behaviour. So she explored instead.

Decked out in full armour, an auto rifle and a shotgun attacked to her back, her helmet latched onto her hip.

Yeah, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. More than one of the Reefborn Awoken stopped to turn and look at the Titan in their midst, whispering among themselves. At least that was all they did. It was not a secret that the Reefborn did not view Traveler and all who associated themselves with it as a good sign. The previous rulers had strictly forbidden any contact with Earth ships, in hopes that by doing so they'd stay out of Darkness' sight. The sight of a seasoned Guardian among their midst obviously set tongues wagging. Adults regarded her with some wariness, while children stared in wide-eyed awe.

I should've just stayed put.

_On that we both can agree._

* * *

They'd eventually gotten back to the palace – the celebration was due to start soon, leaving her with little precious time to reach the room she'd been staying in since her return. She had half a ton of armour to swap for a dress, after all.

It wasn't all that different from the one she'd worn before, except it did cover more of her scars up. Grateful for Mara's foresight, Jennifer quickly donned it, along with the demon shoes (read: high heels).

Soft, melodious bells chimed, and the Titan cursed – the ringing meant that the ball was about to begin. Haphazardly shoving her armour into a vacant locker, she left the room, half-running through the corridors, hoping that she wouldn't end up being late.

* * *

As luck would have it, she wasn't late. She made it just in time, in fact.

She also may or may not have busted down a door on her way to the Great Hall where the ball took place.

As her heartbeat slowed down from the sprint, she took a moment to take in the sights around her – numerous smartly-dressed Awoken nobles were present, and judging from the several Ghosts floating about, Shaxx's loaned mentors were also invited. A group of musicians were playing a haunting musical piece at the far end of the Hall. The walls were lined with great windows that offered a phenomenal view of the vast void outside, with the occasional ship zooming past in the distance. Tables laden with exotic foods were arranged across the floor, and waiters carrying platters of drinks and snacks silently glided around the Hall, as if on wheels attached to their shoes – Jennifer had to suppress a smirk at the very idea. Regaining her composure, she politely waved in return to the affable grins some of the Reef nobility sent her way.

_Be wary of the friendly ones, Guardian. I doubt they are being nice to you for the purpose of being nice._

Oh, lighten up, Ghost. Granted, it's not like any party I've been to before, but it's still a party.

_How many parties have we been to before, hm?_

Well, there was that big powwow after we killed the Black Garden's Heart.

_Which was a single party. A party that the entirety of the Last City partook in, but still. Just don't do anything stupid._

Grumbling to herself, she returned her attention to the gathered guests when the bells rung again, but differently this time. The Awoken fraction of the guests immediately quieted down as the elaborately-decorated doors to the Great Hall swung open once more – but this time, it was Mara who entered the Hall, and Jennifer found her heart skipping a beat or two.

The Awoken monarch was dressed, once more, in a gold-trimmed purple dress, but this one sported an elaborate black collar with gems set into it. With every graceful step that Mara took, the collar shifted, the gems glittering brightly.

Bowing respectfully, the assembled guests stepped aside, and Jennifer was so taken by the sight that she almost forgot to do the same. She quickly stepped back and bowed, remaining in the pose until Mara had passed.

_Just so you know, Guardian, you're blushing._

Shhh!

_Quite fiercely, in fact._

SHHH!

As if by some unspoken signal, everyone straightened out, and Jennifer followed suit. Mara was standing at the other end of the Great Hall, facing the onlooking guests.

"It is good to see so many of you present. Allying with Earth is no small occasion, and thus it deserves to be properly celebrated." Many of the present nobles murmured approvingly, while a smaller number remained silent, but to a perceptive bystander it was clear they disapproved of this declaration. "This is a night to be merry. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves. And, as is our custom, I shall grant the first dance to one of you who would be bold enough to make such a request."

She'd barely finished the sentence when one of the nobles spoke, stepping forward, and she immediately wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Then let me claim this honour, Your Grace!"

Mara barely suppressed a groan as Haakon made his move. She'd expected something like this, but she had no other choice than accept-

"I challenge your claim, Lord Haakon!" Another voice spoke, causing hushed, surprised whispers to ripple throughout the guests. Mara blinked, taken aback with surprise as Jennifer stepped forward from the crowd.

* * *

_Remember when I said not to do anything stupid?_

Ghost, I'm not going to let that leering bastard get his hands on her.

_You're doing this because you're getting jealous? Need I remind you that you don't know how to dance, let alone fight in a way that doesn't involve shooting or punching things?_

Irrelevant.

_I think it's very relevant!_

By now, Haakon had gotten over his surprise. He chuckled derisively at the Titan striding up to meet him. "You? _You're_ willing to challenge _me?"_

"What's the matter? Afraid of getting beaten by a woman?" The words left her lips before she could ponder upon whether saying something like that would be beneficial to her reputation. As it was , however, more than one of the Awoken present snickered behind their hands. Haakon was less than amused, though.

"You dare?! I am Haakon, the scion of House Emrinth, one of the richest and influential Houses among the Reef! Men want to be me-"

"And you want to be with men, yeah, I got it." Jennifer interrupted him mid-sentence, and shocked murmurs – and suppressed laughter - spread through the onlookers at the implication. The nobleman ground his teeth together for a few moments, trying to find a suitable comeback before growling in frustrated anger.

"You want to challenge me, then? So be it! Let us acquire a pair of duelling armour and some swords."

"By all means." The Titan replied curtly, not intimidated in the least.

"I assume you have used a sword before, then?" Haakon sneered as he gauged his opponent.

"Well, there was that one time I stole Sword of Crota and killed its makers with it. Fun times."

Suddenly, Haakon felt noticeably less certain about his chances, but he didn't have a way out, either. His confidence soon returned, however – he was a skilled swordsman, well-practiced with swords of all sizes and shapes. Triumphing over the Guardian would only improve his standing. The duelling armour was soon delivered, along with a pair of training cutlasses – blunt, but weighty enough to leave a bruise if struck with. The two duellers left to change into their new apparel, and returned to the Hall, where others crowded along the walls, having cleared out the middle for the imminent duel.

_You forgot to mention the part where you nearly threw up in your helmet after the Sword broke apart and couldn't even drink water for the better part of an hour afterwards._

Feh, details.

Mara spoke, drawing everyone's attention. "The rules are simple – the one who disarms their opponent first wins. They shall do so with their weapon, and nothing else."

Both Jennifer and Haakon nodded before turning to face each other, swords at ready.

"You're going to regret you ever spoke, Guardian." The Awoken man ground out, quiet enough that only she heard the threat.

"Quit flapping your mouth, then. Let's see what you're made of."

With a snarl, he lunged forward, his sword flashing as he made a vicious uppercut. Jennifer stepped back, blocking the strike with her sword. She knew – vaguely – how to deal with a sword-wielding enemy, a skill borne from necessity when you're fighting Fallen, who just loved their swords and daggers. But it served her well enough to block Haakon's attacks and step out of his melee range as required.

Their swords clashed again, faster this time, as Haakon tested the Titan's defenses. She had some knowledge, he'd give her that. But it'd be insufficient against his vastly superior skills. Grinning confidently, he pressed his attack, forcing the Guardian to step back.

However, soon he learned he'd overestimated his opponent. Being a Titan, she could block his attacks with little fear of ending up disarmed, her grip on the sword rock-solid – strikes that she deemed as feints to catch her off-guard she stepped back from with little effort. His confidence waned even more when he tried to parry one of Jennifer's attacks – the blow nearly ripped his sword from his fingers, and a sharp pain lanced up his arm from the tremendous strength behind the blow.

He'd definitely misjudged her, that much was sure.

* * *

Jennifer smirked as she swung again, and Haakon danced away from her like she was a cursed Hive Thrall. Confident, she closed the distance and thrust the blade forward, almost letting out a laugh as he clumsily jerked aside to avoid the attack. Her smile disappeared just as quickly as he viciously counter-attacked – she almost managed to step back.

Almost, but not quite.

The tip of Haakon's sword cut through the leather protecting her right forearm, parting flesh and muscle, scraping against bone before she managed to get clear.

Gah! Son of a-That cheating bastard swapped his sword while he was getting dressed for the duel!

_Don't tell me I didn't warn you against fighting him. Awoken politics are as cut-throat as they get._

Ghost's disapproval, justified as it was, didn't do much to stem the rising anger at finding out her opponent was a cheat. Titans, as a rule of nature, had little patience for long talks and Warlocks could put them to sleep simply by talking. They also saw direct combat as the honourable way of war, and were angered by back-handed tactics.

Thus, finding out Haakon was too much of a turd to fight her honourably made her _livid._ Teeth bared, she lunged forward, bringing the sword down in a vicious downward slash. Haakon's eyes widened in surprise and he barely brought his sword up to block hers. Sparks flew as metal met metal, but she was right back on him before he had a chance to recollect his stance. Desperately, he gripped his weapon with both hands, but it didn't help much as she mercilessly beat down onto the hapless Awoken.

I'M GOING TO BEAT HIM UNTIL HIS GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE A TWITCH! HIS OWN TRAVELER-DAMNED MOTHER WON'T RECOGNISE HIM WHEN I'M DONE WITH THIS FILTHY-

_GUARDIAN! THAT'S ENOUGH!_

Ghost's stern 'shout' shook off the berserker haze she'd been overtaken by. Her arm froze mid-swing as she took in the situation. Haakon was lying on his back on the floor, clutching his much-abused right wrist. His sword lay nearby, its blade snapped in two. A moment later, she noticed the deathly silence, and everyone staring at her.

"I may be mistaken, Guardian, but is that blood seeping from your forearm?" Mara chose the moment to speak. Jennifer looked down at her arm – yes, indeed, blood was welling up from the cut Haakon had made. A moment later, bright, golden Light shone through it as the Traveler-given gift healed the wound.

"Well, uh, not anymore, at least."

A bystander wandered closer – an Awoken nobleman – and picked up the broken sword, running his thumb over the blade. Brow furrowed, he stood up and faced his Queen.

"It would seem Lord Haakon is, simply put, a dishonourable cheat." He held up the blade, displaying the small smear of blood on the tip. "I think it's safe to say he's lost this duel."

_And much, much more, _Mara thought darkly, before speaking. "Then the Guardian wins." She approached the blonde woman. "You've earned your dance, though you might want to change out of the duelling armour first."

Jennifer nodded dumbly and left.

* * *

"What the hell was that, Guardian? You went, as Cayde would put it, apeshit. Never seen anything like that before."

"I got mad because he cheated, Ghost. People tend to do that."

"Yes, people are angered when they're cheated. But you saying that it was just anger is like saying Gjallarhorn is a slingshot."

She really had no answer to that.

"Look, we'll talk about this later, okay?" Ghost grumbled unhappily about that, but conceded.

"I'll hold you to that, Guardian!" Ghost called after her as she made her way back to the Great Hall.

* * *

Mara smiled graciously as Jennifer grinned sheepishly. "Uh, to be honest, I don't know how to dance."

"Not to worry. I'll lead." Before Jennifer could so much as inquire what she meant, Mara laid one arm on the Titan's waist, while holding her other arm. The blonde blushed wanly, and laid her free hand upon Mara's shoulder, when instructed to do so. The musicians started up a slow, waltsy piece and the two women began their dance.

When I say dance, I mean Mara was offering Jennifer subtle advice, while the Titan was doing her best to not step on her lover's feet.

* * *

"You really shouldn't have challenged Haakon. I could've dealt with him, one way or another." Mara muttered quietly enough so that only Jennifer could hear her as they slowly spun in rhythm with the music.

"And let him get his hands on you? I think not." The Guardian's reply was just as subdued.

"Hah. If only Haakon was so chivalrous. A noble woman like you should be rewarded for that."

"Oh? What've you got in mind?"

"That'd be telling, no?" Mara replied, and then suppressed a smirk as Jennifer grumbled.

The music ended soon after and the two of them parted, followed by polite applause from everyone else. Mara made a small bow, which Jennifer returned. Soon, more pairs of dancers were circling around as the music picked up back again. Humming to herself, the Titan wandered off towards one of the tables, picking over the foods there.

_Guardian, there's something stuck to your dress._

Huh?

_It's some sort of a microchip. Scanning... Oh, great. This has to be a joke, it just has to._

What is it?

_...Instr__uctions on how to reach the Queen's quarters undetected. _Ghost's disapproval was obvious.

Sweet!

* * *

Mara stirred softly in her bed as she heard the door open and close, the lock clicking softly. Moments later, she heard footsteps, muffled by the carpets lining the floor – soon, the bed let out a quiet creak as someone crawled under the covers. Smirking, she rolled over, coming face to face with Jennifer, just as the Titan pulled her in for a kiss.

_I am going to scream._

* * *

**This war is all there is for you.**

**What else do you have? You walk among mortals and immortals, a creature lost in time. Your only purpose is the struggle.**

**Does it seem unfair? To be brought back into this, the end of days, the long dwindling exhalation of an ancient corpse? You were at peace. Now you are a dead husk charged with war. Do you remember anything of freedom?**

**Fight on, then. The war IS everything.**

**But consider the choices before you.**

* * *

Jennifer bolted upright, covered in cold sweat, panting as she took in her bearings, her movements frantic as she recalled the nightmare she'd just woken from.

Mara stirred sleepily, yawning as she looked up at the other woman. "Jennifer? Why are you awake? Is it morning already?"

"No, it's... Wait." The Titan cut quiet answer, frowning as she examined the darkened room.

There was a soft click.

Normally, she'd pay that no mind. But to one who was as well-versed in weaponry as she, the noise was easily-recognised.

Immediately, she made a gesture with her right hand, and a sphere of Void energy engulfed the bed, a split-second before a burst of bullets smashed ineffectively against the barrier.

Snarling, Jennifer leapt out from the bed, charging towards where the shots came from. Just then, the lights flickered into life, and heavy, armoured shutters slid into place over the windows, vents, and the doors, denying any entry or exit.

The would-be assassin broke his nose when he had an intimate encounter with one of the shutters in his frantic attempt to escape, and dropped on the floor like a wet rag. Jennifer turned around, relieved to see Mara sitting inside the protective bubble.

"Are you alright?"

The Awoken smiled graciously, opening her palm and displaying the small remote she held. "Yes, Jennifer. You don't make it as far as I have without a contingency plan or two."

"Well, I'm glad to know about that. So, uh, what will we do with that guy?" The Titan gestured to the unconscious Awoken. Mara examined the prone form, her expression hardening.

"We tie him up and leave him for my brother to deal with. He'll know what to do." Jennifer could hear the hard edge in her lover's voice, but said nothing. It just was something she'd have to learn to live with. Besides, she could hardly judge Mara. A Guardian, every Guardian, was brought back to life for one specific goal – eradicating those who threatened the safety of the Last City.

* * *

"You seem troubled, Mara." Jennifer spoke, half an hour later – the assassin had been handed over to Uldren, who wowed to find out who was behind this attempt.

"It's nothing. Hasn't been the first time someone's tried to end my life. It is, however, the first time I've been saved by a valorous Guardian." She smiled as Jennifer let out a soft chuckle. Her joviality didn't last, though. "I'd hoped that the situation would calm down, considering the recent events. Sadly, it seems that this was not the case."

"I'll keep you safe, don't worry."

"I know you will."

* * *

"You know, there are some goings-on and occurrences I will turn a blind eye to, if I can find a means to turn it productive."

A knife glittered in the low lamplight.

"An attempt on my sister's life is _not_ among them."

A pair of hateful eyes glowered at the whimpering prisoner, who was strapped into a chair that'd seen much use in its past.

"Speak. Do not hold back _anything,_ and you _may _be spared."

"..."

"Hard way it is, then."

The prisoner screamed as machines whirred into life around him.


	8. Chapter 8

Mara paused, curiosity clear on her face as she noticed Jennifer sitting in the middle of her room, legs crossed – the Titan seemed to be in a deep trance. But the most interesting detail was the streaks of Light coursing under the Guardian's skin, and a soft glow emanating from the woman. Her Ghost was hovering nearby, its shell orbiting its core in a blue sphere of light.

Quietly fascinated, Mara sat down nearby, deciding to be patient and wait. Truth be told, as a child she was worried touching a Guardian would cause her to combust. And then she realised the utter absurdity of that thought. Many rumours – mostly untrue – had been cultivated among the populace, ensuring they remained mistrustful of the Last City and its agenda. Truth be told, no one knew if staying out of contact with Earth would spare them from Darkness if – or when – it returned. Likely, it was a myth propagated by one of the former queens to ensure her rule over the Reefborn.

Her train of thought was interrupted as Ghost reassembled itself, followed by Jennifer stirring from her trance. The curious glow beneath her skin faded away as the blonde woman stood up, letting out a content sigh.

"That's sorted, then." Ghost spoke, before noticing Mara. "Ah. We have a guest."

Jennifer spun around, smiling as she saw her lover. "Oh, hello! I didn't even notice you there."

"Neither of us were in a state to do so, Guardian." Ghost intoned flatly.

"So, ah, what exactly were you doing?" Mara queried.

"You don't know much about Guardians, do you?" Jennifer chuckled softly, a teasing edge to her voice as she sat down on the bed.

"No, I do not." The Awoken monarch admitted sheepishly. "We know very little of those who walk in the Traveler's Light. It and all who associate themselves with it have always been avoided by the Reefborn in the past."

"Well, as to what I was doing... every Guardian, be they a Titan, Warlock, or a Hunter, has two subclasses, we call them, to use. Not specialisations, per say, since we can swap between them on the go, which helps when you're in the middle of a fight. And as a Guardian develops their talents, their Light grows stronger, as do their abilities. You can regenerate from wounds faster, move much quicker, absorb more punishment, and hit harder. Truly seasoned Guardians will spawn motes of corporeal Light ever now and then." She gestured to Ghost, who nodded in return – a small, brilliant sphere of light manifested in the Titan's hands, and she held it out for Mara to see.

Cautiously, she took it in her palm, squinting as she examined it. "I've never seen anything quite like this..."

"It is Light brought into existence by a Guardian's might. The Speaker always is accepting these, and rewarding those who offer them. No one really knows what he does with them. But, back on the subject of subclasses, a Titan like yours truly, can be either a Striker or a Defender – means I either dish out or absorb a lot of punishment. Depends on the situation, really. And just then, I was attuning how my abilities worked. I can do it while out on a mission, too, but it's much less safer to do somewhere I might get jumped by an enemy."

"So, that shield thing yesterday...?"

"A Defender ability. No manner of weapon will pierce it. Even a Hive Ogre can stare at it all it likes and it won't collapse." Jennifer's cheery mood subsided as she continued. "That assassin didn't have a chance of getting a single bullet through."

Mara quietly sat down at the woman's side, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing to worry about. You thwarted his plan."

"And how long before someone tries it again? Much as I'd love to, I can't stay here all the time. I've duties to attend to back in the Last City as well."

"You do know that there are Guardians here all the time now, right?" Ghost piped up. "Simply explain to them that the Queen's well-being is of utmost importance to maintain the alliance. They'll take care of any interlopers."

Grumbling, Jennifer had to agree with that idea – she could ill afford to shuttle back and forth between the Reef and the City at the slightest sign of danger.

Besides, Ghost was always very smug when he made sense. The sooner she agreed with him, the sooner he'd stop being smarmy.

* * *

Mara smiled wanly as she saw the jumpship warp away before looking down at the brilliant mote in her hand. She'd have to put it somewhere safe. For now, however, she had a space-bound city-state to rule.

But first, she'd take away everything that made House Emrinth influential. She grinned evilly as she imagined the expressions Haakon would be making at her announcements.

It was, after all, the little things in life that mattered.

* * *

The Guardians' Tower was a secluded place – it was a far cry from the Inner City's bustle and rush, thus is was no surprise all but a few Guardians made their home there.

Jennifer hummed thoughtfully as she looked outside, where the tree-covered mountains outside the Last City's walls stretched on as far as the eye could see. The café she was in was one of the several in the Tower – though Guardians could sustain themselves on Light alone, nothing could beat the taste of actual food.

Her train of thought was interrupted as Nara took the seat on the opposite side of the table.

"There you are, Jennifer."

The Titan turned to look at her friend, cocking an eyebrow – usually, the raven-haired Warlock was much more cheery than this.

"Uh, something wrong, Nara?"

"Er, well, not yet, I hope." The Awoken woman fidgeted for a moment, looking around. "Got a talking-to from Cayde, honestly. About Sal. Says she's distracted in her studies because of my, er... teasing."

Jennifer said nothing, instead listening attentively as her friend talked.

"So he, um, made an ultimatum for me – either I stop bothering her or commit. You know, to a proper relationship and all that."

"Ah. So, what will you do, then?" Nara seemed thoughtful for a few long moments before speaking, her voice quiet.

"I'll just bugger off, I suppose. Honestly, I hadn't considered how my actions affect her until now. I've never really been relationship material, either." The Awoken Warlock was definitely in a very aloof mood – whatever Cayde said to her had obviously struck a chord with the Guardian. Jennifer couldn't recall having ever seen Nara this cowed.

"Are you sure, then?"

"Yeah, Jen. I'm sure. Sal... she deserves a better person than me." Nara sat silently for a moment before standing up. "Look, I gotta go. Things to do and all that. Talk to you later." Before Jennifer had the chance to say anything, the Warlock transmatted herself away. Letting out a sigh, the Titan also stood up – there was always something that needed to be done to ensure the Last City's existance.

_You know, this conversation did remind me of something._

And that is?

_I think you already know the answer._

Ghost was right – a Guardian successfully keeping a secret from their Ghost and vice versa was literally unheard of.

And the question as to why Mara had been so set on getting involved with her still needed to be answered. Ghost – and by extension, Jennifer – didn't exactly buy into some of the things the Awoken monarch said. And being internally conflicted like this didn't sit well with either of them.

* * *

"...Dad had to sit down to think of a good comeback pun! Half an hour later, he came into my room, announcing that I'd won – couldn't even look me in the eyes." Helena tittered, taking a sip from her bottle as Jennifer chuckled at her friend's story. Lucy was seated nearby, conversing with their parents. "Funniest thing I ever did see."

"Never a dull moment with you, then?" The incognito Guardian asked.

"Most of the time, yeah. Life's for living and stuff. Getting stuck in a routine is no fun at all. Gotta freshen things up a little ever now and then, am I right?"

"Can't argue with that." Jennifer conceded, taking another sip of her beer. Ghost had rattled off something about improved metabolism, but all she understood was that she was hard to get drunk, which was just as well, since she wouldn't make a fool of herself or blab about being a Titan.

The food, cooked by Lucy, was great, the company, while only containing her, Helena, Lucy and their parents, was relaxed and friendly. It was a far cry from a run of the mill Guardian get-together, which were more often than not much more subdued and revolved around more grim and ominous topics.

Here, however, tales were swapped – her friends' parents lived far on the other side of the City, and could seldom afford to visit their daughters. So that was where the Titan found herself, regaling her hosts with a cover story, provided by Ghost. He wanted her to socialise, so that's what she did.

To her friends and neighbours, she was Jennifer Irons, a plasteel foundry worker transferred to a different workplace due to shifting demands from the industry. At least this way, she could pass some of her scars off as workplace injuries. It also was a reasonable, if a little flimsy explanation for her strength. So long as she didn't feel tempted to show off, that is – Titans, for all their stoic way of thinking, were easily goaded into tug-of-war competitions, arm-wrestling, and anything else that allowed to impress other Guardians with their physical prowess.

Nonetheless, Jennifer was glad all the same to listen to others' stories – it wasn't all that long ago that she'd barely known a thing about the City's citizens, except for that they were all that's left of humanity and had to be protected from extinction. But as she learned to live among the common folk of the Last City, she learned that they played a part just as important in the City's survival as the Guardians did – munitions and materiel that every Guardian used were provided by the very people they protected. Scratching each others' back, Ghost had called it. That particular analogy had confused the hell out of her until he'd explained it to her. A lot of things confused her in the humanity's last bastion. But she learned new things every day.

After all, nothing prohibited her from doing so. Being a Guardian, she was free to do anything she put her mind to, so long as it didn't impair her ability to fight or endangered the City.

* * *

Dead, hateful things gathered deep in the cavernous chasms of the Moon, their wrath stirred up by their enemies' insolence.

Hungry, slavering abominations swarmed in the dark below, their thirst no longer sated by the Syphon Witches.

Infernal forges worked ceaselessly, fueled by vilest of Hive's sorcery.

A final battle was coming, a clash that would decide the fate of the hated Traveler and all of its protectors.

And the Hive didn't feel like losing. Not after having suffered the insolence of the Guardians harassing them for so long.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ghost?" Jennifer's shaky voice reached his ears and he sighed resignedly, preparing a snarky response when he noticed the timbre of the Titan's query – she was scared, and if something managed to scare a Titan, it must be bad news indeed. Thus, he floated towards his ward without pause.

"Yes? What is it, Guardian?" He spoke just as he arrived in the living room. What awaited him there outclassed his wildest expectations.

"Am I supposed to bleed from there?" Jennifer stood in the middle of the room, naked from the waist down, clutching her underpants, which were somewhat bloody, and she was clenching her thighs tightly together, looking utterly terrified.

It was then that Ghost realised - with horrifying clarity - that Jennifer, for all her mastery of the arts of war, had no knowledge about what a menstrual cycle was. With no small amount of dread, he realised that he'd have to educate her on this certain distinction of her anatomy, too. Not for the first time in his existence, he wondered just what he'd done, whom exactly he'd wronged to earn this fate.

It had to be done, however. A Titan on her period was not something to be treated lightly. Things tended to get broken.

* * *

"...how do I cancel this subscription to Lucifer's Waterfall?"

"You can pause it for nine months, but then you get a loud, annoying pop-up that doesn't go away for eighteen years." Jennifer fidgeted at that, still keeping a towel pressed against her groin.

"Please make sense, Ghost."

"Says you. Basically, it's either toughing it out, as all women do, or..." He looked around, before whispering. "...pregnancy."

"Ghost, I'm fairly sure no one can hear us in here. Why are you whispering?"

"Because you're not just some random civilian! You're a Guardian, and a famous one at that! The very thought of you getting hammered like a bent nail is preposterous!"

"Do you have to make it sound so tawdry? Wait, since I've been with Mara, does that mean-"

"_**It does not work that way, Guardian! That is now how children are conceived at all!" **_Ghost finally reached his boiling point, raving like a madman, all the while Jennifer snickered quietly, watching her companion rant. **_"...and whistled for a baboon!"_**

"Well, how do I keep myself soaked only in the blood of my enemies, not my uterus?"

"You'll have to purchase tampons or pads for that. Those'll keep you dry."

"Can't you mail-order them or something? I'm not sure if I feel comfortable walking anywhere if this keeps up."

"Oh, now you decide to become self-conscious? Figures. Then why don't you ask Miss Cain for some? Tell you ran out and forgot to restock."

"What? No!"

"Why must you be so difficult."

* * *

"Ghost? What are you doing?" Jennifer queried as she lifted her bed up, exposing the grumbling automata resting on the floorboards.

"Avoiding."

"Avoiding what?"

"_Everything."_

"C'mon. Let's go shopping."

Ghost made a plaintive noise, but rose off the floor, disappearing inside his Guardian.

_Can you stop changing your mind all the time?_

Probably not. But I need to make a trip to the shops anyways – food's running low at the moment.

_Thank Traveller for small mercies._

* * *

The weather was very enjoyable on this particular day as Jennifer strode down the walkway, enjoying the warmth of sunlight. The Traveller still hung in the sky, shrouding the Inner City in perpetual twilight gloom. Luckily, it was not a concern in the outer districts, where weather patterns and day-night cycle were a thing. In Inner City, air flow had to be maintained by vast atmospheric processors, and people generally went about their business round the clock, sleeping when it suited them. It was a hive of constant activity, and all the best nightclubs were there, if her fellow Guardians were to be believed.

Her train of thoughts was derailed as she noticed some sort of commotion take place further ahead.

Ghost? What's going on there?

_A group of Guardians is putting up a show for the civilians further ahead. Want to take a look?_

Sure, why not. Not in a hurry right now, anyways.

Curious, she went off to explore, her senses tingling as she felt the unmistakable signature of Light-fuelled abilities being put to use. It didn't take long to find – she soon came across a purpose-built arena, where a number of Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters were, plainly put, showing off.

Titans lifted platforms above their heads, laden with excited children, or lifted weights that seemed impossible to handle. If if required physical might, a Titan was the answer. One Titan was actually arm-wrestling with five men at once, and seemed to be amused by his opponents' efforts.

Hunters delighted the crowd with feats of mind-dizzying agility, their innate sense of acrobatics sending the fleet-footed Guardians running along walls, jumping improbable distances across an obstacle course, and carrying out mock duels against each other, their finely-sharpened knives clashing in a breathtaking dance of death.

Warlocks were the flashiest, as expected – vibrant trails of Void and Solar energies arced through air, putting even the most flamboyant fireworks displays to shame. A Sunsinger glided gracefully through air, her form incandescent, reminiscent of the fabled bird of fire. She landed gracefully,, her blazing aura dissipating as she stood up, bowing deeply to the enthusiastically cheering spectators.

Well, that's something you don't see every day. Jennifer idly observed, sitting under a tree, slightly a ways off from the rest of the crowd.

_The people enjoy seeing their heroes in the flesh, as it were._ When his Guardian said nothing in response, he continued. _If you want to experience some of that adoration on your own, I could use the City's transmat network to get your armour here. You can remain anonymous, too._

I don't fight to protect them for a bit of fame and recognition.

_Oh?_

I do it because it's the right thing to do.

_That's my girl._ There was a note of pride in his 'voice' and they lapsed back into companionable silence.

Heh. I guess you're kind of a father figure to me.

_And just like that, the moment is ruined._ Ghost's deadpan tone gave Jennifer a severe case of giggles, the seasoned Titan doing her best to suppress her laughter. Her mirth ended a moment later when she stood up.

You know what? To hell with it – let's mess around with them a bit.

_Oh, this'll be good._

* * *

Jace Malcom let out a chuckle as the number of men trying to defeat him had doubled by now – ten full-grown workers were gripping his armoured hand, trying to lay it perpendicular to the table surface. Unfortunately for them, a Titan was the lovechild of unstoppable force and immovable object – there was nothing that could stop them, and there was nothing they could not stop.

Soon, his opponents left, grumbling, while Jace himself hadn't even broken a sweat. All in all, the junior Titan was feeling pretty satisfied with himself.

He blinked as the recently-vacant chair was occupied by a blonde woman, who extended her hand towards him, clearly wishing to have a go at arm-wrestling him.

"May I know your name, Miss?" Jennifer took only a moment to ponder on that – only a handful of people knew her recently-acquired name.

"Jennifer Irons."

Jace hummed quietly to himself – the woman seemed oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Oh, well. It was probably nothing.

"I'm Jace Malcom. Now, then..." He extended his arm, and they gripped each other's hand tightly. "Shall we begin?" They both nodded – Jace grinned self-assuredly as he applied force and...

Jennifer's arm didn't budge an inch.

Frowning, he tried again, putting more strength into it, and was met with the same results. Frustration took over the Titan as he stopped holding back – the woman's arm moved ever so slightly, muscles rippling under her skin as she held back.

A moment later he gasped in surprise as he found his own arm being forced down by Jennifer. He struggled and resisted to the best of his abilities, but to no avail. It didn't take long until he found his arm pinned to the table.

Jennifer cocked an eyebrow as she eyed the struggling Guardian before speaking, her voice subtle. "Being boastful is what Warlocks and Hunters do. You and I are Titans. Keep that in mind next time." She let go of Jace's arm and stood up, leaving quietly.

It was a long, confusing moment later that Jace recognised the woman – she was someone most Guardians called as the Nameless Titan, seeing as Guardians who could not recall their name were just as common as Cabal Legionnaires adept at poetry. And this particular Titan was nothing short of a legend, having risen from relative obscurity to instant fame after having ventured into the Black Garden, and destroying the vile source of the Vex. After a brief appearance in the Tower, she'd pretty much disappeared from the face of Earth.

And now, she'd beaten him at arm-wrestling. A slow grin split his face as he realised that.

_Man, I can't wait until I can tell the guys back at the Tower about this!_

* * *

"We've gotten a message from the Tower, Guardian." Jennifer paused as she went about brushing her teeth once she heard Ghost's voice.

"What's it say?"

"A Hunter has found a small enclave of people, surviving far outside the Wall. The Speaker is requesting that a small Guardian team is assembled tomorrow to airlift the people back to the City."

Jennifer hummed thoughtfully as she processed the information – it was a testament to humanity's hardiness as a species that some groups still survived out there, where they had no Wall or Guardians to protect them. If the Hunter had found this particular enclave, it likely was because they wanted to be found, which was news both good and bad – either they wished to find a new home in the Last City, or they were in some degree of trouble.

"Tell the Speaker I'll be there."

"I'll get right on it, Guardian."


	10. Chapter 10

Among the Last City's numerous enemies, the Hive were the most hated.

Traveller had seen fit to bestow magnificent gifts upon humanity in the form of Light and marvellous technologies. The list of otherwise seemingly impossible scientific barriers were broken down by the Traveller's grace. The Hive, however, had taken that sacred gift, corrupting and twisting it, turning it to their own perverse sorceries through a shard of the Traveller.

And so it was that on this day that Jennifer found herself leading a small team of novice Guardians into Cosmodrome – with fire and lightning they burned the Hive minions from the darkened halls and rooms. The vile creatures fought back ferociously, but could not stand against the Guardians' combined might. Fallen forces, drawn to them by the conflict, sought to prevail, but soon found out that they'd bitten off more than they could chew.

Hunters harried them from the shadows, striking unseen before vanishing, leaving both Fallen and Hive firing blindly.

Warlocks burned them with Void and Sun energies, rending reality apart with the slightest of gestures.

Titans controlled the ebb and flow of the protracted melee a trois, laying waste to their enemies.

Yet, for all its ferocity, the battle was already decided. Neither the Fallen or the Hive could stand against the superior weapons, armour and training of the City's Guardians.

* * *

"And that was the day when the universe ran out of ammunition." One of the Hunters quipped, reloading his hand cannon as others picked over the corpses for whatever universal ammo packs there were to be found. Waste not, want not, as the old saying went.

"You've done well – the enemy is on the run, and we've had to do only three revives so far." Jennifer commended her comrades. Her trusty auto rifle, Up For Anything, resting snugly on her back. The weapon was a gift from the Vanguard, and it had faithfully seen her through a lot of fights – its aim never faltered, and always struck true, leaving innumerable enemies dead in her wake.

"Kayl, are the demolition charges still safe?" She queried, turning to face a young Titan, who immediately checked the heavy-duty backpack she carried on her back, and then gave Jennifer a thumbs-up. Among their chief objectives here was the destruction of a Hive Seeder that had crashed in the Cosmodrome. It had been decided that it would be the Last City's first outpost outside its walls. Both the Fallen and Hive were on the back foot now, with the Fallen Kells jockeying for a position of power, now that Draksis was dead. Fallen power struggles were few and far inbetween, but were exceptionally bloody and violent. Meanwhile, the Hive struggled to recover from the loss of one of the Shrines of Oryx, and the Siphon Witches, who no longer could guide and nourish their infernal minions. It was a mixed blessing, however. – Guardians who went to Moon reported that the Hive who they had to contend with there were hungry and ravenous, moreso than usual, attacking them with frightening frequency and viciousness.

Her musings were interrupted by a sudden, stabbing pain in her abdomen.

Period cramps, Ghost called it.

Worst thing since Darkness, she called it.

It was not a sensation she enjoyed. Waiting for her Light to soothe the pain, she contacted the other Guardians.

"You go on ahead, guys. We'll catch up to you – me and Ghost got a bit of a detour to make."

_What do you mean with th-oh. Right. That._

* * *

"_Will it fly?"_

"_I can make it work."_

Jennifer smiled wanly to herself as she looked at the empty hangar – it seemed like an eternity had passed since she'd first beheld the old, battered jumpship hanging from the cables. Here she'd fought the Fallen Devil Captain, Rahn, her first challenge on the path of becoming a Guardian. The Arcadia-class vessel had been long since replaced with a more modern jumpship, but without it, her legend would have been a very short one, indeed.

Back when you brought me back, did you ever think that we'd ever accomplish what we did, Ghost?

_Nnope, can't say I did. The Traveller works in mysterious ways. Perhaps it was pure luck. Perhaps it was destiny._

Heh... That's one way to put it, I guess.

Giving the room one last wistful look, she departed – the old headquarters of the Cosmodrome had yet to be secured in preparation for the engineers and soldiers of the Last City, who were due to arrive in a couple of hours. After that, they'd set out towards the recently-discovered settlement, and, with a bit of luck, safely deliver its people to the Last City. Far as plans went, this one was fairly simple, and hopefully, nothing would go wrong in the meanwhile.

* * *

The irony was not lost on Jennifer – she'd seen the distant corners of Earth's former colonies, even Mercury in its post-Collapse state, disfigured by Vex machinery, yet she'd seen so little of Earth itself. In the years following the disastrous cataclysm brought about by the Darkness, as humankind had withdrawn to the Last City, nature had reclaimed much of the grand metropolises humanity had built. Humming to herself, she gazed at the lush forests far below as the small flotilla of aircraft soared through air, a group of City-built troop carriers, re-purposed for this mission, and escorted by eight Guardian jumpships.

The scenery was beautiful, in its own way – it instilled in her a sort of muted awe to see humanity's creations in such a state of neglect. So much of it all would have to be demolished for them to start anew.

_There's the settlement. Can't land in the middle of it, though – there's not enough space, but there is a spacious enough clearing about two hundred metres south of it. Let's set down there._

Good thinking, Ghost.

_Well, someone has to do that around here, after all._

Har, har, har, Dinklebot.

_I'll shut up now._

Good thinking.

It was the first time in centuries since the small, tranquil glade had been in such a frenzy – wildlife of all kinds ran away as the carriers and jumpships gently set down, the landing skids sinking into the lush grass, creaking as the vessels came to a rest. Even as the whine of powerful engines died down, City Militia personnel disembarked, setting up a perimeter – there were always the errant Fallen scavenger parties to watch out for.

The heavy boots of Titans thumped, leaving deep imprints in the ground, the stalwart Guardians ready to face anything that might mean to harm them.

The measured, rhythmical footsteps of Warlocks followed, static energy leaping off their robes as they kept their powers alive – this far from the City, anything was possible.

Hunters were a leaf on the wind, leaving no footprints to trace them by as they shadowed the other Guardians, keeping an eye out for anything that might be troublesome.

* * *

The path had turned out to be a bit longer than what Ghost had predicted, since going as the crow flies would've attracted undue attention. So to the beaten path they stayed, keeping their pace brisk. It didn't take long before they entered another clearing, one which was surrounded by a number of watchtowers – Jennifer's HUD lit up, outlining people in them, holding rifles of some sort. They appeared alert, but relaxed.

I guess they're expecting us. Let's get a move on.

A chorus of replies reached her across the comms as the other Guardians followed her into the settlement. People came out from the concealed shacks and tents to meet them, awe clear in their eyes, but soon they parted, letting a grizzled, broad-shouldered man through.

I guess that's the man in charge around here. Coming to a halt in front of him, she reached up to her head, removing her helmet and attaching it to her belt as they sized each other up silently – but she was the first to break the silence.

"I am Jennifer Irons of the Last City." She spoke, keeping her voice even and respectful, extending a hand towards the tall man. He blinked once, his unreadable expression changing into a more friendly one as they shook hands.

"I am Hector. Welcome to our humble settlement, Guardian. It is heartening to see your kind here." Whatever tension there had been beforehand was gone now. "Let me get right to it. Our scouts have noticed far more Fallen patrols in the recent past than before. It is not safe here anymore. Will you help us?"

"We're Guardians – it's what we do. I'm sure you noticed our ships set down nearby earlier? We can fly your people back to the City. How many do you have?"

"There's forty-five of us, myself included. Most of our belongings can be packed up and carried by hand."

_Good to know – those dropships of ours only have so much lift capacity._

"How soon can you have everyone ready to go? No doubt our arrival drew unnecessary attention, and I'd like to ensure we leave before the bullets start flying."

"An hour - two at most. I'll spread the news." She nodded at that, watching the settlement surge into activity moments later.

_A penny for your thoughts?_

We'll need to move – fast. Call some of the LZ guards over. We'll move the people in groups of ten. Easier that way.

_I hear that. Let's see what we can do to help these people pack up._

* * *

With the Guardians' aid, everyone had finished packing up their belongings in just over an hour – everyone had a backpack, stuffed full; whatever could not be carried by hand was lashed down onto sturdy carts and pulled along. The people had separated into groups, chattering excitedly among themselves, curious to see what lay outside of their small sanctuary.

The first three trips went flawlessly.

But it was on the return from the fourth that Jennifer noted something was amiss – her senses were literally screaming 'a predator's going to eat you, run', even though she could not detect the source of her unease.

I've got a bad feeling about this.

_Well, now that you've jinxed us, there's definitely something bad that's going to happen. I can't pick up anything on short-range or long-range scans, for now, at least._

Let's just hurry up and get this over with. The sooner we're back in the City, the better.

_I hear that._

The nagging feeling of imminent danger only got worse as they escorted the fifth group, and she found herself unconsciously toying with Invective's trigger.

_Uh, okay... What's got you so riled up?_

In lieu of an answer, she stepped to the right, punching a Hive Thrall that had just silently risen from a nearby bush – her heavy-duty gauntlet connected with the monster's face, effectively ending its existence as it dissipated into ash. Instantly, dozens more sprung from the surrounding foliage, Thralls and Acolytes, all of them baying for their blood. Gunfire erupted instantly, almost twenty guns blazing as they cut down the charging, shrieking monsters.

Jennifer acted in concert with her fellow Titans, all of them throwing up Wards of Dawn to protect others, gathering everyone inside the protective domes of energy, and stepped forth to meet their foes head-on.

The confrontation was vicious, but brief – numerous as the Hive were, no Thrall or Acolyte had the constitution of a Guardian, moreso with the City soldiers backing them up, trained warriors all.

As the din of battle ceased, Jennifer knelt down to inspect one of the more intact Hive.

Take a look, Ghost. What can you find out about it? How did these things sneak up on us? We should've been able to see them coming a mile away.

Her companion was silent for several long moments before responding.

_They've been modified – extensively. That's as much as I can tell without feeling sick, and we have no..._ Ghost trailed off there before speaking again. _Is it just my imagination or is the grass dying where this Hive monster fell?_

Indeed, as they watched, the foliage surrounding the creature withered and fell to dust before their very eyes.

That is not a good sign.

_We agree on that. I wish we had some seasoned Warlocks with us to study this. Well, at least these Hive die all the same. We've already got enough on our plates._

I hear that. Let's get back to the City and report to the Speaker.

* * *

It was almost twelve hours later that Jennifer was finally able to return to her home – the bed beckoned to her as she removed her armour-

_We've got a message from the Speaker, Guardian._

A noise akin to a constipated moose escaped the woman as she resignedly replied to her erstwhile companion.

What's it say?

_There's, ah, some sort of communications beacon on a loop, back at Mars that a Hunter picked up two days ago. There's not much in it, just a set of coordinates and an invitation to the one who killed Valus Ta'aurc. That means you._

Could be trouble. Then again, what isn't in these days?

_Any idea who might've sent this message?_

Could be the Exo Stranger. She is a weird sort.

_'I don't even have time to explain why I don't have time to explain.'_ Ghost mocked in a falsetto voice, making Jennifer snicker with amusement. _Seriously, how do you even need to think to come up with something like that? Anyways, we've got a set of coordinates – do we check them out or not?_

Let's do it. But only once I've slept through the entirety of next day.

_Exit light, enter night, take my hand, we're off to never-never land..._

If that's a reference to something, it's lost on me.

_Feh._


	11. Chapter 11

Meridian Bay.

Vast dunes arched throughout the ancient city of Mars, ever-shifting.

The Cabal had built fortifications throughout it, digging up every bit of research humanity had left behind following the Collapse, all the while fighting the Vex that kept popping up, despite their Legionnaires' best efforts.

In the recent weeks, Vex incursions had slowed down noticeably, and swathes of the vast Martian city had fallen under the Cabal's control, and they'd taken to combing through the ancient skyscrapers with gusto.

How much further, Ghost? Jennifer spoke, soaring through the sandy streets, astride her Sparrow, alert for any would-be ambushers.

_A little under a kilometre. The signal's as strong as before, thought I do sense some Vex in the area._

Figures. The Titan gunned her vehicle's throttle, sending the nimble machine hurtling forwards – immediately, she grinned, enjoying the thrill of speed. She was, self-admittedly, an adrenaline junkie. That's why she took regular excursions to the Last City's outer districts to race across crumbling buildings. To escape death by the skin of her teeth was a primeval high that even the occasional resurrection by her Ghost didn't dull.

_Still here, thank you._

* * *

_Just so you know, we're about to drive straight into a firefight. There's a bunch of Cabal and Vex going at it ahead._

I'm going to take a blind stab in the dark and say that both were drawn there by the beacon.

_Seems to be the case._

Do I get a prize for guessing correctly?

_If you don't keep quiet, I'll transmat your Sparrow out from under you._

Touché.

A moment later, she came upon the sight of half a dozen Cabal Legionnaires pinned down by a number of Vex Goblins. Upon seeing her, the infernal machines warbled, immediately turning to face her _en masse,_which made sense. She had, after all, destroyed the Heart of the Black Garden. In a sense, it was flattering to know the Vex thought of her as the bigger threat. Grinning with excitement, she leaped off her Sparrow, letting it careen off to the side as she brought Invective to bear, charging straight at the Vex, eager to obliterate them.

The first Goblin she reached didn't get much of a chance as she caved its head in, the built-up Arc energies within her disintegrating the machine as she blasted another one with her shotgun, the weapon ripping a hole in the Vex's torso. She aimed again, terminating yet another one of the machines. A blaring Minotaur attempted to bludgeon her, but fared just as its comrades had when Jennifer unloaded the last two shots into its face. Tossing a grenade to distract the Vex for a moment, she turned her back to the Vex, so as not to blind herself when the projectile blew, and took the moment to reload, safe in the knowledge that her armour would protect her. It was, after all, meticulously reinforced with relic iron and ascendant shards she'd salvaged during her travels.

With Invective reloaded, she tore into the disoriented Vex again, punching and shooting her way through the machines, her armour stained with the radiolarian fluids of their cores.

_You keep punching any longer and you'll be swinging at nothing but thin air._

Ghost's words snapped her out of the close-quarters combat-induced frenzy as the last Vex crumpled at her feet. Remembering the group of Cabal, she turned to face them, blinking in mild confusion, her bloodlust mitigated by the fact that none of them seemed inclined to shoot her.

Well, this is awkward.

A moment later, the Centurion who seemed to be in charge, stepped forward, the projection rifle in his hands held at ease as he spoke in that guttural, rumbling language of theirs.

_I think he's trying to talk to us._

Seeing that Jennifer didn't understand his words, the Centurion tried again, after typing something into a wrist-mounted device on his arm.

"You are the one who struck down Fleet Commander Valus Ta'aurc, yes?"

The Centurion just spoke to her. Not shot, tried to bludgeon her to death, or bellowed something inane at her.

"Uh... yeah. That's me." The Centurion slowly cocked his head to one side as she spoke.

"Hmm. Thought you'd be taller." Before she could protest, the Centurion continued, blissfully unaware of the Titan's indignation. "There is one rule that all of Cabal respect – times have changed, but the cardinal rule of our military, no, society, has not changed. And not that long ago, you gave that particular rule a good shake, rattling it to the very foundations."

"And what, pray tell, is this rule?" She questioned, trying to suppress her ire at being – vaguely – called a midget.

"You keep what you kill."

At first, for a confused moment, she thought she was the proud owner of Ta'aurc's corpse. It wasn't until the Legionnaires got down on one knee, bowing their helmeted heads that she understood, with shocking clarity, what the Centurion meant.

No.

No, no, no.

No, a million times no.

**NO, GOD, PLEASE NO.**

_A human Guardian as a Cabal Fleet Commander... now what would be the odds of that?_

**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-**

* * *

"Ta'aurc was a respected and venerated commander. But he was old, and so were his ideas. However, few had the courage to try and jockey for the position of Fleet Commander, and those who tried to challenge his claim did not last long, despite being mighty warriors themselves. Thus, it seemed his position was cemented, his seat of power unchallenged."

"Until I did him in." The Centurion, who'd introduced himself as Terun, was silent for a moment as his translator deciphered the meaning of her words before nodding once.

"Indeed. Like I said before, this has thrown our commanders into disarray. Many now question the strength of our troops and warships, while the ambitious ones try to jockey for the Fleet Commander's position, firmly believing only a Caballite can lead the Fleet. Others, however, are convinced your display is proof enough of your right to rule."

"And what do you think?"

"As long as unity is restored among the rank-and-file, I do not really care what you do."

_Guardian, I suggest you accept. If what Terun says is true, we'll have the Cabal's manpower and resources at our disposal! Think of what we could accomplish with it!_

I never asked for this.

_Would you rather let someone worse than Ta'aurc be in control and decide to lay waste to the Last City in revenge for us ending Ta'aurc?_

Uuurgh... Steeling herself, she spoke up, hardly able to believe she was saying what she was saying.

"I accept." The Caballite let out a rumbling chuckle at her words.

"Excellent..." Terun pulled a small datachip from one of the many pouches on his armour, passing it to Jennifer. "Meet me at the coordinates on this chip, in one week. There, we will see about bringing this to a close."

"Uh... great, I guess."

"Be calm. If I wanted you dead, I'd at least have the courtesy to let you know beforehand."

"That makes it _so _much better, thank you." Her sarcasm fell on deaf ears as Terun nodded once.

"Glad to be of help, Fleet Commander."

Is this some kind of cosmic joke?

_Probably._

* * *

A week later, as she'd promised, she arrived at Terun's given coordinates, leaving her trusty jumpship a small ways off from the collection of Cabal Interceptors and Harvesters that also sat nearby, arranged in a circle. From this close, she could see the bulky forms of Cabal soldiers trudging about.

"_Ah, Fleet Commander! Good to see you." _A synthesized voice reached out to her across the distance between the Guardian and the meeting place. _"The meeting is almost prepared, all we need is for you to take part in it. This is a momentous occasion, as you can imagine."_

I'll say. Jennifer mentally groused, but didn't voice her discomfort as she walked on, to what she felt would possibly be the worst mistake in her life.

* * *

Numerous helmeted heads turned to look at the Titan, and she could barely resist the urge to start punching everything in sight. The voices of Cabal soldiers, though muted, reached her ears through her helmet's audio filters – some seemed in awe, others were indifferent, or indignant. Her anxiety was somewhat assuaged as she noticed Terun approach her – much to her chagrin, he bowed to her before speaking.

"Are you ready to make history, Fleet Commander?"

"I guess it's now or never." The Centurion nodded before turning to address the other Cabal commanders. Immediately, the hubbub of suppressed conversations died off as Terun spoke.

"We all know why we are gathered here. Several weeks ago, Fleet Commander Valus Ta'aurc was killed. But it was not by one of our more... ambitious sub-commanders. Neither are the Vex at fault here." Some of the seemingly less-informed Cabal began to mutter quietly, confused.

"Valus Ta'aurc was defeated by a Guardian from Earth." He gestured to the Titan standing at his side. "As far as our rules are concerned, she is now the Fleet Commander."

"Is this some sort of a twisted joke, Centurion?" An irate voice rose above Terun's as one of the commanders stepped forward, trembling in anger. "I do not appreciate being made a fool of! We all know how much damage these 'Guardians' have cause to our operations, so why should we let one of their ilk be in charge?"

"Need I remind you that the late Fleet Commander's rise to power was no less bloody? You forget your place, Khairal." Another Caballite spoke, his voice magnitudes less hostile, and held a tone of hard-learned experience. "You keep what you kill. That is how it's been since the very inception of Cabal." Having finished berating his peer, he turned to regard Jennifer. "What is your name, Guardian?"

"Jennifer Irons."

"And you say that you ended Ta'aurc?"

"I had help, but it was anything but easy. He gave as good as he got."

"Hmm. How many of your kind were there?"

"Just me and two other Guardians." The words caused an excited murmur arise again from the other Caballites.

"You still doubt her strength, Khairal? Three Guardians accomplished what the Vex never could." He turned to address Jennifer once more, inclining his head slightly. "I am Valefor T'narr, and I, for one, am interested to see what you can accomplish."

Khairal did not approve.

"SHE IS NOT CABAL! SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT STRENGTH!"

Perhaps it was the Caballite's attitude, or the suddenness of being thrust into a position of power that set her off. In either case, she'd reached her boiling point, and was quite ready to bust some heads.

"You want to fucking go?" She all but shouted at Khairal, who froze mid-rant.

"WHAT?!" Undeterred, the angry Titan continued her profanity-laden rant.

"Just you fucking try me, I'll fucking lay you the fuck out, motherfucker!"

_If Wei Ning was still alive, she'd be crying tears of joy right now._

Howling with anger, Khairal charged right at her, arms outstretched, and she followed suit, left arm pulled back, fingers clenched in a fist.

As the distance between the two shortened, she leapt, soaring through air as she thrust her arm forward, her lightning-wreathed fist connecting with the Caballite's faceplate with a thunderous crack, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes, his ill-conceived one-Cabal charge cut abruptly short.

Her greaves digging into the ground, Jennifer killed her momentum, turning to regard the unconscious Khairal, then the other Cabal commanders, all of whom were looking at her with rapt attention as she addressed them.

"Now, here's what's going to happen – you can either fall in line, or I will personally kick all of you down a ravine filled with rusty razor wire, salt, chainsaws and rabid bears, all the while forced to listen to nails being scraped on a chalkboard. If any of you have anything to object to, this is your last opportunity. Is that clear?"

The Cabal soldiers looked at each other silently before kneeling down in unison, bowing their heads.

"Good to know." Jennifer sighed softly, glad to know something was going her way for once. "Now, I'll be laying down some ground rules for the foreseeable future..."

* * *

The last time she'd beheld Ta'aurc's massive tank was when she'd arrived with her fireteam to end his life. Now, it was hers.

It was all hers – the Cabal warships in orbit above Mars, the infantry legions, their tanks and aircraft... She held power absolute.

_Careful, Guardian. Absolute power corrupts absolutely._

But it rocks absolutely, too.

_Eh, a fair point, I suppose._

The trip to the command centre took a while, seeing as the size of the tank beggared belief, quite frankly. She still was half-convinced this was some sort of a fever dream, as she brought up the databanks of what the Cabal had recovered from Freehold.

Thoughtfully, she reached towards the control panel, Ghost manifesting in her palm as it interfaced with the systems, causing various holographic screens to pop up around them.

"You know this could cause, as some would put it, a shitstorm, right?"

Jennifer merely chuckled in return.

* * *

"Silence, still?" The Speaker sighed heavily, looking away from the inert form of the Traveller. It had healed noticeably since the destruction of Black Garden's heart, yet it still remained stubbornly dormant.

The communications device on his desk chirped – a welcome distraction from his morose train of thought, despite raising some questions in his mind. It was more often that he contacted others, not the other way around. His communications code was not common knowledge.

Ascending the staircase, he approached his desk, powering up the device's holoprojector. It didn't take long before the flickers of blue light resolved into a solid image, but when it did, he almost did a double take, certain that this was a prank of the tasteless variety.

"Good day to you, Speaker." The Titan's voice came through the speakers. "Forgive the intrusion, but I think you'll want to hear what I have to say." The sagely man blinked, glad he had his mask and robes to conceal his surprise. His mouth, however, turned out to be a traitor this time.

"I swear, I haven't had _that _many..."


	12. Chapter 12

That bitch!

That Darkness-damned human whore!

It was her fault that he had now ended up sweeping floors, along with dozens of other Awoken men, in the Fallen quarters where their Dregs and Vandals resided. There was a difference between Haakon and them, however.

At the end of their shift, the other men would go back to their homes and families.

He'd crawl into a makeshift hovel and seethe in an angry solitude, feeding on whatever he could steal.

He had nothing left – no influence, no allies, and no riches. The Queen took it all away from him. No one respected him, not even the lowliest of low-lifes of the Reef. Everyone knew what he'd tried to do.

He continued to growl as he pushed the cart, loaded with Ether canisters, to dole out the Wolves' daily rations throughout their quarters. To everyone, he was just another lowly serf, mindlessly toiling away.

To the supervisors, he was just a nobody.

A nobody.

...he could work with that.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey."

"I'm vegetarian..." The half-awake Titan mumbled the first thing that came to her mind.

"Wakey, wakey, vegetables and sadness." Ghost continued on, and Jennifer groaned, resigned to the fact that she'd have to wake sooner or later – promptly, she rolled out of the bed, hitting the carpet-covered floor with a soft thump.

Five minutes later found her sitting cross-legged on her backyard porch, holding a cup of coffee in her hands. It had rained recently, and she could hear the storm clouds rumbling in the distance, dousing another section of Last City with rain. Deeply, she inhaled the air, enjoying the petrichorous scent as Ghost hovered near her – he'd noticed something was bothering his Guardian, but elected to wait patiently until she voiced her concerns herself.

"Am I really cut out for this?"

"Do you want to become Dredgen Yor Junior? Because that's how you become like him."

"You know what I mean, Ghost."

"To answer your question, yes, you are."

"But-"

"Be quiet and let me finish. Just because you are a Titan doesn't make you any less capable a diplomat."

"But there's a big difference between an alliance with Reef and making friends with Cabal. There's no precedent for something like that happening."

"Hey, no-one could've predicted you'd accomplish all the things you've done since your resurrection. The Traveller clearly is looking out for you. I daresay it's your destiny to change the course of history. I believe you were chosen for a reason, whatever it may be."

"But I never asked to be brought back, Ghost."

"You're not the only one, trust me. Everyone was shocked to see what had happened to humanity after their deaths. But they shook it off and forged onwards, refusing to be laid low by the Collapse. That's what makes humanity special – their perseverance. Cockroaches at least have the sense to die eventually. But humans are made of much sterner stuff."

Dumbly, she nodded, eliciting a hum of approval from her erstwhile companion.

"When you had to destroy Crota's sword, you went into his temple without hesitation. Just think of this as another battle to win. I should get you to read Sun Tzu's Art of War someday. I think you'd benefit from it."

"Duly noted." Jennifer finished off her coffee before looking up at Ghost. "So, what's on our agenda for this day?"

"Let's take a look, then..." Ghost went momentarily silent before speaking again. "Well, the Vanguard want to debrief you in person, first of all. After that is the information exchange between our Cryptarchs and Cabal Archivists. We get whatever they've recovered from Freehold, and they get what we know on Vex."

"Sounds good. I hope that Master Rahool won't find anything to object to."

"Hah. Knowing him, he'll study the data for days, and will end up consuming the Tower's entire stock of coffee while doing so."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Anything else?"

"Well, there's spam..."

"Huh?" The Titan cocked an eyebrow at her Ghost.

"Spam. Lots of it. From Dead Orbit, Future War Cult, and New Monarchy. They're all literally begging for you to join them. What am I, a mailbox?"

"A floating, talking Swiss Army knife, more like."

"Har har har. Anyways, what do I do with all this spam mail?"

"What do you think?"

"...oh no, I seem to have accidentally deleted it all." Ghost's apathic tone served only to make Jennifer laugh with delight. "Well, let's not waste any more time. We've got a couple of very busy days before us!"

"I hear that."

* * *

Word had apparently spread of her accomplishments among the inhabitants of the Tower. Every step of the way towards her meeting with the Vanguard, she heard subdued whispers from nearby bystanders.

_Guess you're a celebrity now._

You stop that.

Shaxx, Ikora, Cayde, and Zavala all turned to look at her once she stepped into the Hall of Guardians.

"You wanted to see me?"

Cayde, who had pockets filled with Glimmer chips – ones that registered in her HUD as belonging to the other Vanguards and Shaxx – responded first.

"Yo."

His veteran compatriots all bore a look of suppressed bemusement, save for Shaxx, who was almost always wearing his helmet.

_Looks like Cayde's been cleaning house again._

"It has been a very eventful time in these past few weeks, Guardian." Zavala spoke, the broad-shouldered Titan eyeing Jennifer with no small amount of scrutiny.

"To put it lightly." Ikora added her two cents.

"With all that has happened recently, everyone has kind of been willing to accept that yes, things are looking up for us all." Cayde continued. "However, brokering a peace treaty with the Cabal is testing even _my _suspension of disbelief. When the Speaker relayed to us what you'd told him, I was half-certain he'd gotten hold of Holliday's still-"

_clank_

"Are we really doing this, Shaxx?" Cayde sighed, a pen sticking out of his forehead.

The Crucible Handler grumbled something incomprehensible in return, causing Jennifer to cock an eyebrow.

"Am I missing something here?"

"He's just being salty about losing yet another bet. Speaking of which, I'll be cashing it in now."

"..."

"Time's a-wasting, Shaxx."

...polyethylenetetraphthalate, eeeeeh, macarena..." The surly Titan mumbled out, sounding like an off-tune cello.

"Yesssss..." Cayde hissed out victoriously, while both Zavala and Ikora facepalmed, their body language simply screaming 'I am a Vanguard, I shouldn't have to put up with this'.

"Could we get back to the topic at hand, please?" Ikora snapped irritably, both annoyed and embarrassed at her peers' childlike behaviour. The Guardians were given considerable leeway about how they went about their business, that much was true. Some of their kin had let it go to their heads on occasion, even if a large fraction of them were a chivalrous and noble kind.

And some, like Cayde, pushed the limits whenever he thought he could get away with it, much to others' consternation.

"I'd like that." Jennifer voiced her assent, eager to get this over with. "We've got a lot of details to hash out today."

"Fair enough." Cayde coughed softly, turning to look at the Titan. "So, Fleet Commander-"

"Don't."

"Heheh, sorry. Couldn't resist. Anyways, the City Consensus should be contacting us soon. They're very impatient to talk to you, Guardian."

Jennifer sighed, mentally preparing herself for what was coming. Politicking was always a taxing affair for her. Unless it was with Cabal – a lot of the issues could be solved with an impressing display of strength.

* * *

Politicians were like sheep – stupid, stubborn, near-sighted sheep. No matter how many times she'd said that the Cabal would follow her orders without question, the fools who had, against all common sense, control of the Consensus, always found something to nitpick at.

It was maddening, really, and when the meeting finally ended, she couldn't help but sigh in relief. It could've gone better, that much was certain. Few among the Consensus agreed with her. Then again, she was a Guardian. She had the approval of the Vanguard, at the very least. It wasn't like the Consensus could stop her or them. All they _could _do was express their disapproval. Unfortunately, they were vocal about it. It tended to grate on one's nerves.

As the holographic representations of Consensus members faded away, everyone let out a sigh of relief – Cayde was first to speak.

"Seriously, though, Guardian – are the Cabal willing to cooperate with us?"

"Some might complain, but they'll follow my orders. If any of them think they can do a better job, they're welcome to try removing me from my position."

"I guess that's all we can ask for."

"Don't worry, I'll keep them in line." Jennifer promised. "Now, onto the next agenda..."

It took a while, but combined patrols of Cabal and Guardians were eventually agreed upon, as was the information exchange between the Cryptarchs and the Cabal – their Legionnaires had retrieved some information from what remained of Charlemagne's databanks, seeing as the Warmind of Mars wasn't as lucky as Rasputin, and didn't endure the Darkness' assault. Of course, after Rasputin had reconnected to the defensive weaponries that were scattered through out the solar system, it'd overtaken Charlemagne as well, locking the Cabal out for good.

The plan to encourage cooperation between Guardians and Caballites was a good idea on paper. It was another thing entirely to make it work as intended.

Jennifer merely hoped that there would be as few 'accidents' as possible.

* * *

Harvesters constantly dropped in and out of the assembly zone, ferrying the Legionnaires waiting there to the troopships waiting in low orbit. Bigger landers, laden with Cabal machines of war, ponderously followed after the smaller transports, and clouds of rust-red sand were constantly being stirred up by the constant activity, of a newly-prepared Legion that would make planetfall on Earth.

Jennifer beheld all this from her tank, seated in the oversized chair Ta'aurc once occupied. Silently, the Titan gazed through the thick pane of armoured glass as sun slowly sunk beneath the red planet's horizon. Numerous Cabal soldiers operated various consoles, while several junior Cryptarchs were conversing with the prime authority on Cabal's accumulated knowledge – Loremaster Valandor.

A Loremaster was usually ancient beyond his years, devoting his time to scrutinising every scrap of information that came in his possession, and ensuring no details were lost in the process. Every Cabal Legion assembled, every soldier or vehicle, everything the Cabal did – it was all archived by the Loremaster and his Archivists. They held a bewildering amount of knowledge, some of which Jennifer had browsed through, curious to learn something of substance about the Cabal.

The Cabal Legions were made up by exceptionally tightly-knit units, a trait carried over from their equivalent of humanity's Stone Age, when they had to contend with all manners of predators that threatened their tribes' safety.

Vicious, voracious creatures they were, forming wolfpacks to take down Caballites one by one. It became necessary to have utter trust of the soldier at one's side, to know he'd be watching their back at all times. This unshakeable sense of loyalty spread fast, and remained a cornerstone of their empire when they took to stars.

Compared to the Guardians, they did not have the technological edge, or the scalpel-sharp prowess of Guardians. What they did have, however, was iron discipline and trust in their fellows that was borderline fanatical.

_And against an enemy like the Vex, that goes a long way,_ the Titan silently reasoned, looking around her. Suddenly, an image that flashed on one of the bridge ensigns' screens drew her attention.

"Hey, you! Yeah, you." She clarified as the Caballite turned to look at her, and stood at attention.

"Yes, Fleet Commander?"

"What's that you have on your screen there?" She gestured to the glowing hologram of a curious-looking, four-legged machine. The Cabal soldier went to work, turning the image into a slowly-spinning 3D hologram.

"This is a Vanjervalis-class heavy tactical assault chassis, or H-TAC for short."

"Why haven't we seen any of them in field?"

"It is but a mass-produced prototype, Fleet Commander, and this planet's weather does not agree with it. Too much sand. According to the Psions operating them, it gets into everything. As a result, they spent more time in maintenance than in combat. Goliath Tanks and Interceptors have much less moving parts, and thus were deemed more suited to this climate, and the Vanjervalis units were repackaged and left in storage barges."

"Huh. You'd think that with a Legion named Sand Eaters, it wouldn't be a problem."

"The irony is not lost upon the soldiers, Fleet Commander."

_Guardian, I know what you're thinking. No._

"Would they perform better in a more temperate climate? Like that of Earth?"

_NO._

"I believe so, yes."

"Then attach a squadron of them to the Earthbound Legion. And outfit one for my personal use, if that's not too much trouble."

"As you say, Fleet Commander."

_You're horrible._

Why, thank you.

* * *

It didn't take long for Old Chicago to become a warzone.

Cabal Harvesters dropped from low orbit continuously, disgorging scores of Legionnaires, companies of them led by Guardians as they pushed the Fallen out from the once-grand city. Skiffs tried to ferry the Fallen footsoldiers away, but were always shot down by Goliaths when they decloaked – eventually, the Fallen vessels bugged out, leaving the Dregs and Vandals to fend for themselves.

It was a beautiful sight, really, Jennifer reflected as she excitedly waited to be deployed in the thick of it.

"Ah, I love the smell of kicked ass in the morning." She let out a wistful sigh, and the Legionnaires sharing the dropship with her bellowed in agreement.

_Damn jarheads._

All these flavours and you chose to be salty... The Titan grinned as the Harvester shuddered to a halt, its hatches rapidly swinging open. Without a doubt, she charged into the fray.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter's delay is sponsored by an unhealthy binge of Crusader Kings 2, Hearts of Iron 3, and Mad Max: Fury Road. Also, thank you, everyone who voted on the name change - I've counted the votes and it's been decided that I'll change the Queen's and Prince's names to the canon ones as provided by Bungie. I'd likely have dithered on the choice, myself.**

* * *

The arrival of a Cabal dreadnought had sent the Reef pickets scrambling back to the spaceborne city-state in a hurry.

It had been many years since the Cabal warships deigned it worthwhile to attempt an assault on the Reef – the Awoken used the debris field to great advantage, denying the Cabal vessels their sole advantage – firepower. The impetuous fools had paid dearly for their brazen attempt, and no more Cabal ships arrived. Until now.

Except the gargantuan warship neither moved or fired a single shot, even as the Awoken carriers launched swarms of fighters and bombers in advance.

Mara watched the holographic projection of the cumbersome Cabal vessel, her expression unreadable, while Uldren kept firing off terse orders at the captains of the Reef fleet. Suddenly, he paused, his fingers pressing to the headset he wore.

"What? Are you serious? Well, double check it!" He listened to whoever was on the other end, his expression that of disbelief before he spoke again, switching to the fleetwide channel. "All units, stand down." With a bemused scowl on his face, he turned to address his sister.

"It's her."

* * *

The House of Wolves obeyed Mara's orders, but they did it with gritted teeth and clenched fists. Wherever she went, they glared silently at her, Dregs and Vandals all.

The Titan only said a single word to her ad-hoc honour guard, and the towering Caballites returned to the Harvester dropship without a protest, professionalism clear in their gait.

Her observation was ended by Uldren, who chose to elbow her in the side subtly. Shooting a mild glare at her sibling, she refocused on her object of interest, who was making her way towards them.

Jennifer stopped in front of them, her helmet clasped to her hip as she bowed slightly towards the Queen of the Reef.

"I come bearing news, your highness." Lowering her voice, she spoke again, just loud enough for both Mara and Uldren to hear as she addressed the Queen's Spymaster. "Nice to see you again, junior."

The Prince was about to respond when his sister let out a soft chuckle.

"Seriously, Mara?" The Awoken woman grinned at him lopsidedly, motioning for him and Jennifer to follow her.

"Well, I thought it was funny. You just need a sense of humour."

Her brother clearly disagreed, mumbling under his voice sullenly, quoting 'properly regal behaviour' a lot as they left the spacious hangar bay for the more secluded and private quarters befitting royalty.

* * *

"You actually gained the Cabal's loyalty? How?" Uldren queried disbelievingly at Jennifer, who was reclining in a couch in Mara's quarters.

"It's simple, really. The blunter you are with them, the better. Thump your chest and shout a bit, and never, ever back down when they try to intimidate you. Have to be gutsy."

"I thought you'd have learned by now, brother, that Jennifer is much smarter than you give her credit for. She has proven so time and time again, after all." Mara spoke from her position at Jennifer's side, an arm casually draped across the Titan's shoulders, her fingers idly tracing a pattern across the woman's pale skin.

"It's a defining human quality to be stubborn and defiant in the face of adversity and challenge." Ghost added his two cents, lazily drifting about. "And some have luck shining down on them with frightening regularity."

Uldren sighed exasperatedly, throwing his arms up in the air. "You know what? I'm not even going to question it." Grumbling, he stood up and left. "No doubt you'll be busy being consummate with this tryst of yours soon. I'd prefer not to be in your vicinity by then."

"I'm going with." Ghost declared, zooming after the retreating Prince. As the doors closed, leaving the two women alone, Mara grinned salaciously at Jennifer.

"Truth be told, I do want you all to myself..." The Awoken monarch chuckled lowly, caressing the blonde's cheek. "Is it wrong of me to be so jealously possessive?"

"Not at all. It's why I challenged Haakon in the first place. If anyone's putting their hands on you, it's going to be me." Jennifer spoke softly, leaning forwards to kiss Mara. The Awoken woman readily obliged, meeting her lover halfway, letting out a soft moan at the contact.

" You really need to visit more often. My doors are always open to you..." Mara whispered muffledly, as Jennifer traced a path up the other woman's thigh with her fingers, eventually settling on her waist as she pulled Mara closer. The Awoken monarch didn't object, settling down comfortably in Jennifer's lap, eagerly continuing the kiss.

Jennifer pulled back, taking a deeper breath as she looked at Mara, cocking an eyebrow. "Is that an euphemism for sex?"

Mara paused, considering her choice of words before beginning to snicker quietly. "I can see how that sounds awfully come-hither of me..."

"Legs is the word. So how about we go to my place and spread the word?" Jennifer responded coyly, a lecherous, but good-natured smirk on her face, making Mara laugh harder at the double entendre.

"Oh, that is awful!" Mara laughed mirthfully, leaning her forehead against Jennifer's, losing herself in the woman's deep blue eyes, sighing before noticing something amiss – small sparks of lightning seemed to occasionally dance around the human's irises. "Um, there's something going on with your eyes, Jennifer."

"Oh, you mean the sparks? Just a little side effect of being in Striker mode, simply put. Hang on..." Jennifer closed her eyes, opening them a moment later – now, the outer edges of her irises were flecked with vibrant purple energies of Void, seeming to brighten and dim in sync with the Titan's breathing. "Happens to all Guardians, though one needs to be attentive to see it."

"It's beautiful." The compliment caused Jennifer to blush, the blonde chuckling awkwardly as she averted her gaze.

"Stop that, you're making me blush..." Mara took the chance to lean closer, whispering seductively in her lover's ear.

"You're adorable when you're embarrassed."

"You stop that." Jennifer grumbled, trying to appear annoyed, but it was clear she did not mind the teasing.

"I will... for now." The monarch leaned comfortably against the Titan before continuing. "So, you've taken the title of Fleet Commander from Valus Ta'aurc. And here I thought I was ambitious. What's it like, if you don't mind me asking?" Jennifer made a face at that, mulling over the question for a moment.

"It's certainly been a challenge. Like I said earlier, you can't hesitate when it comes to Cabal. You can't show any signs of weakness. Sometimes give a couple of unruly recruits a thumping, sometimes carry out a one-man assault against an enemy fortification. It's a lot of ancient, deeply set-in tradition that I turned on its head. Probably will be a while until everything settles down. It's a good thing the information exchange between our Cryptarchs and the Cabal Loremaster went so smoothly, too."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"Well, as it turns out, the concept of an afterlife where the glorious dead go after dying a honourable death on a battlefield appeals to the Cabal, immensely so at that. Not quite sure where spraying their faceplates with chrome paint figures into that, but the ground troops have taken that idea and are running with it like it's going out of style."

"W-what?" Mara snickered in disbelief.

"Apparently, among the files handed to the Loremaster was some sort of a holovid or suchlike from 21st century, and almost every Caballite is now obsessed with it. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, really – they're a culture that'll literally grind a mountain down rather than build around it."

Mara smiled mischievously at that, leaning contently against Jennifer, holding the Guardian's gaze. "Well, maybe we can watch it together someday?" She offered coyly, caressing Jennifer's cheek, making the other woman blush fiercely again.

"Yes I'd really like that thank you very much." The Titan squeaked out. Deciding to ease off, Mara pressed a light kiss to the woman's forehead before settling down at her side.

"So, Jennifer, tell me what you've been up to since we last met."

"Asides from going through an inordinate amount of paperwork, I haven't really had the chance to do anything. A new Cabal legion was assembled and sent to do battle with the Fallen on Earth, and I managed to hammer out an agreement between the Tower and the other Legions to at least stop aggressing at each other. The Conclave weren't happy about that in the least."

"Politics never change, do they?" Mara offered gently, and Jennifer nodded in agreement.

"Isn't that the truth. I seriously prefer the Cabal's company to them – they complain nowhere near as much, and any problems that do arise can be solved easily."

"While we're on the subject on the Cabal, have you ever heard of the Broken Legion?"

"Can't say I have. What of them?"

"They attacked us a long time ago, during the reign of my predecessor. Needless to say, they failed, and ended up becoming permanent residents in the Prison of Elders, along with the rest of those who harbour ill will towards the Reef. They were led by one Valus Trau'ug."

"He wouldn't happen to be related to Valus Ta'aurc, would he?"

"Not that I know of. Likely, they both held the same rank at some point. Besides, from their point of view, a brother of blood and a brother of battle is the same thing. In any case, I did learn a while ago that he is a traitor to his own people. His attack was not approved of by his superiors." Noting the questioning look on the Titan's face, Mara continued. "I'm telling this to you because I'd prefer not to pretend Trau'ug is not a problem. His forces are dug in well, and attack any that approach. Many have tried to end him. Many have failed."

"Sounds like fun. Where do I go?"

"Not so fast. I'll have Uldren fill you in later. For now, I think I will enjoy your company to my heart's extent."

Before Jennifer could respond to that, Mara kissed her, and the Titan found herself without a viable counter-argument.

* * *

The Prison of Elders was as unwholesome as it got – even treading across bones of dead humans in the Fallen Devils' Lair was more homely in Jennifer's mind. The tunnels were narrow, poorly-lit, and unnerving noises from further ahead kept Jennifer tense. The troop of Cabal soldiers trudging behind her seemed just as ill at ease, disliking their current surroundings – if they were attacked here, it'd be a messy close-quarters melee.

It was only when they reached a heavily-reinforced airlock that words were actually spoken as Jennifer sent Ghost to do its work on unlocking the entrance.

"I want Phalanxes in first – keep your shields up and stick to each other like glue. Centurions, get behind them and suppress anyone that so much as looks weirdly at us - make them keep their heads down long enough for me to create a breach in whatever fortifications they have." She hefted her prized rocket launcher, Valedictorian 9-44, on her shoulder, before speaking to the rank-and-file Legionnaires clutching their slug rifles.

"Once I've made a hole, it's your turn. While the opposition is suppressed, flank around, if possible. If not, stay in cover and advance with others when I signal. Any questions?"

Her soldiers shook their heads, taking their agreed positions – Phalanxes in front, shields held at ready, Centurions behind them, checking their projection rifles, while the rest formed up in the rear.

"How's the door coming along, Ghost?" Jennifer queried, running one last check over her own arsenal.

"Almost got it, Guardian."

Mere seconds later, the slabs of hardened metal began to grind open – almost immediately, a hail of gunfire struck the shields of the foremost Phalanx. Guttural growls echoed throughout the Cabal around the Titan as the shield-bearing Cabal rushed forward, shields held firmly in their hands. More Phalanx followed, broadening the cover as they stacked their shields together in a nigh-impenetrable wall. The Centurions followed suit, lumbering into the cover proved by their brothers, launching explosive projectiles at the enemy barricades. Immediately, the amount of incoming gunfire lessened as the Cabal of the Broken Legion huddled down.

Capitalising on the confusion caused by this, Jennifer launched herself above the shield barricade, launching two rockets at the opposition's barricades, using her brief elevation to target suspected weak points in the makeshit fortification.

The rockets struck true, ripping through the sheets of metal like they were made of paper, and the barricade was further decimated as the Titan landed, striking the ground with a lightning-wreathed fist – Arc energy danced its deadly dance, disintegrating the closest rogue Cabal. Quickly swapping the rocket launcher out for an assault rifle, she turned to address her troops.

"C'mon, you apes! Do you want to live forever?!"

Taking it as their cue, the Legionnaires broke cover, following their leader into the breach, as did the rest of their brethren moments later.

And they all promptly stopped at the sight of the Titan flying backwards, sailing above their heads, before having an intimate encounter with a wall.

Which is to say she slammed into it with enough force to shatter three ribs and several vertebrae.

"Perhaps this was, in some manner or form, something akin to a mistake..." The dazed Titan mumbled as she saw the biggest damn Caballite she'd ever seen lumber out towards her, a projection rifle held in each hand.

_You think?_


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This chapter's delay is sponsored by real life issues, Fallout 4, Mad Max, Undertale, and just plain lack of inspiration. I had to force myself to get this chapter finished. I guess every writer has that one chapter that doesn't want to be written.**

* * *

Her broken ribs were making a mincemeat of her innards, but it was all she could do to stop Tra'aug from crushing her midsection, grappling with his meaty fist as her foe kept blasting her in the face with a projection rifle. The explosive munitions repeatedly detonating against her Skullfort were more than a little irritating to the Guardian.

Her forces had overcome their initial confusion, and had gone to fight Tra'aug's troops, leaving her to deal with the bastard in question. Easier said than done, considering he was being all up close and personal-like at the moment.

Her chance to even the odds came when his weapon ran out of ammo – still retaining control of legs, she swung her right leg up, striking the inside of the Caballite's elbow, which was considerably less-armoured. With a pained bellow, Tra'aug relinquished his grip, letting Jennifer regain her footing, sharp pain lancing up her spine as stood up.

"My turn." She growled, Invective materialising in her hands – Tra'aug had, by then, recovered enough to take a swing at her. She simply ducked and adjusted her aim, giving her foe a faceful of buckshot. Stunned again, Tra'aug staggered backwards as Jennifer continued her assault.

"Not so fun, is it?" She bellowed, anger burning brightly as she took initiative. It was only once she stopped to reload that Tra'aug was able to retaliate – once more, Jennifer found herself tumbling through air, bowling over three Cabal Legionnaires before coming to a halt. She was quick to get up, however, and made a beeline for Tra'aug, who was thumping his huge fists on his chestplate, apparently electing to beat her senseless instead of shooting her dead.

His course of action suited her just fine. If she was going to end him, it would be with her hands crushing his windpipe.

Some would find her eagerness to kill worrisome.

Some would forget that this was the Guardians' main purpose.

There was not much room for semantics in this task.

With a powerslide that would make Jack Black cry tears of joy, she slid between Tra'aug's trunk-like legs before punching him in the lower back, staggering her towering foe. Tra'aug, however, moved far faster than someone his size had any right to be, backhanding her away.

Third time's the charm, right?

Dazed, she got back to her feet, just in time to see Tra'aug charge at her, brandishing a Cabal combat knife in his hand. Every Cabal soldier had one for close combat applications, a blade that Crocodile Dundee would instantly fall in love with oh and it was sticking through her abdomen now. Funny, that.

Feeling blood well up at the back of her throat, Jennifer looked up at the offending party.

"Okay, first of all, you're being a real dick right now." Cocking a fist back as she gathered up all of her strength, she continued. "And secondly..."

Her armour-clad fist drove through Tra'aug's chestplate like it was made of glass, her fingers grasping something that beat at a frantic, adrenaline-fuelled pace.

"No need to be so heartless."

With a grunt, she tugged, straining against tough sinew and muscle, simultaneously impaling herself further on Tra'aug's blade – her opponent, having just realised his perilous state, began to frantically beat her with his free hand, the Caballite's frantic blows raining down upon her, all the while Jennifer held onto him with fanatical tenacity, trying to rip his heart out.

A particularly vicious blow to her head finally dislodged her, sending the Titan reeling backwards, almost tripping over her own feet as she fell on her ass.

With Tra'aug's heart clenched in her fist.

KALIMAAA-

The Cabal commander's disbelief was palpable as he looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, then at the bloodied lump of muscle in his opponent's grasp. Five tense seconds passed before he slowly toppled backwards, collapsing on his back with a loud clatter.

Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend, the dawning realisation that I fucked up real bad, Jennifer amusedly thought, staring at the weapon embedded in her midriff.

_You know, I might just not resurrect you for that awful pun._

Wouldn't it have been hilarious if I just flew back like balloons do when you pop 'em? Can you even imagine? Do it again, pretend the first time didn't happen. Come on. Please, the now-delirious woman responded, blood loss getting the better of her.

_You're just shooting yourself in the foot here, Guardian._

She was about to retort when she died.

* * *

_Let's see, here..._

Mlem mlem mlem mlaaaaa-

_Um..._

Mlääääääää-

_How is this my life._

Mlææææææ-

…

m̺͇̝̊͐͑ͣ̃̈́͂͘ḽ̼̻͉̂ͦ͒͛̒̔̚e̫͉̞̗͇͕̫͋͆͋m̥͕̍̎̓͊ͮ͢m̼̜̠͓̊̍̅̊̍̔̂l̡̝͓̺̓ë͉͢m̶̲̞̞͖͆̇ͥm̼͎̯l͇̭̞̳̗̒̌͌̆e̹͑̔ͪ̽̋̌ͥm̩̭̰̪͈̎̌̓̎

_Okay, that's enough!_

**Mløøøøøøøø-**

* * *

She came to, blinking as she regained her bearings, a dozen helmeted heads staring down at her. Suddenly, she was very much aware of how silent everything was.

"Fleet Commander?"

Carefully, she stood up, glad to see Tra'aug's blade wasn't sticking through her any longer – it lay on the floor, bloodied and slightly charred. Also worthy of note were a number of Cabal Legionnaires being kept under watch by her troops, but they all were very insignificant when compared to the hulking, unmoving form of Valus Tra'aug, former commander of the Broken Legion.

"I guess none of you have seen a Guardian come back to life, then?" Ghost winked into existence, floating about, and several of the Legionnaires shook their heads. Satisfied, the automata turned to address Jennifer. "Once Tra'aug died, the others lost their fighting spirit quite quickly. We rounded up those whom we could. Everyone else of the Broken Legion is dead."

"All that remains is to render judgement upon these traitors." A Centurion rumbled distastefully, spitting the last word out like it was poison. "Common practice is to execute them, but in the end, their fate rests in your hands, Fleet Commander."

She had to mull over that one for a couple of moments – she didn't want to consign the deserters to a firing squad. There was no honour to that, and by doing so, she'd be spitting on everything a Titan was supposed to stand for. But neither could she let them go scot-free.

"Give them whatever supplies, weapons and munitions they can carry, and then send them to Venus. There they shall remain for one Earth year, relying only on their fellows for survival, and whatever Guardians they encounter during their stay there. If anyone is still alive by then, they will be allowed to return to the Legion they left." Turning slightly, she addressed the captives. "But don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'll choke you with the same hand I fed you with."

The remnants of the Broken Legion regarded each other silently before grumbling their assent and Jennifer allowed herself a small smirk.

"Glad we understand each other, then." Straightening her back, she raised her voice. "Alright, let's get these sorry bastards to Venus! Last I heard, the Vex and Fallen are really going at it right now." Her troops nodded in affirmation, herding their disarmed opponents away.

Looking around the battle-scarred area, Jennifer finally picked up Tra'aug's blade, briefly examining it – it was big, heavy, and unbalanced to the point that it'd give any Hunter a heart attack. Disappointed, she tossed it away, grumbling something to the effect of 'asshole casserole RNG'.

Ghost really had nothing to comment on that.

* * *

Too deep in contemplation, Mara did not notice that someone was behind her until she heard a voice.

"Something on your mind?" Jennifer's voice, though welcome, startled the Awoken monarch all the same – letting out an undignified yelp, Mara whirled around, suddenly aware of how close the other woman was.

"How did you sneak up on me, Jennifer?"

The blonde Titan grinned lopsidedly at her before speaking, "Wasn't too hard, really. You didn't even hear when I opened the door. I guess you've got something on your mind, huh?"

"Indeed, but that can wait for now. Since you've returned, I presume that Tra'aug has been taken care of?"

Jennifer nodded once, "Deader than disco. He gave as good as he got, though. Ran me through with his knife before I ripped his heart out."

Mara took a deeper breath to calm herself before speaking, "It still seems so bizarre to hear you speak so casually of grievous wounds and death, Jennifer."

"Yeah, well, for a Guardian, it's either cry, laugh, or go crazy." Then, in a quieter tone, she finished her sentence. "And I hate crying."

The glum Titan felt a pair of soft arms wrap around her in a hug as Mara stepped forth to console her. Mood slightly improving, she returned the embrace around the shorter woman.

"You're a living being, not a machine. It is not a weakness to feel emotion." Mara's quiet voice reverberated through her chest. Jennifer was about to respond when someone knocked on the door.

"Are you two decent?" Uldren's voice floated to them. Mood souring once more, Jennifer took the opportunity to respond.

"What do you think?"

"I'm going to go with no."

Sporting an expression of faux shock, Mara looked up at the Guardian. "We're having sex, Jennifer? Why didn't you tell me? I would've taken my clothes off."

"You two are so funny." Uldren intoned flatly, clearly unamused. A moment passed before the doors opened and the Prince stepped inside. "I have news – what remains of the Broken Legion has been transported to that dreadnought of yours without an incident. You clearly gave them a beating like no other. The word of this has spread, of course. News travel fast here. Dispatching Tra'aug the way you did will help cement your reputation."

"It's just another day for me, far as I'm concerned. The Last City doesn't have the luxury of being tucked into a place far from prying eyes. Not a day goes back on Earth without a skirmish with either the Hive or Fallen."

"Nonetheless, I'd expect at least some of the nobles to try and brown-nose you. Many would kill to be in the good graces of you these days."

"The City Factions already tried. I doubt these nobles will have much more luck than them." Ghost added his two cents, winking into existence.

"With the Cabal at your disposal, I suppose you're no pushover. Death threats would have no effect on someone who can come back from the dead." Uldren conceded the point. "Still, I'd watch my back if I were you." With a slight nod of his head, he left. Soon as he closed the door behind him, Jennifer turned to face Mara.

"I guess that's as much of a compliment I'm going to get out of him, huh?"

Mara grinned wanly, though her smile was short-lived, making the Titan frown.

"Is something wrong? You know you can tell me about it, whatever may be bothering you."

Mara clasped her hands together, looking decidedly awkward. "I suppose this has been a long time coming. I've recently had the, well, realisation that I did, in fact, take advantage of you when I invited you to the Reef. The habit of a queen that's used to always having her way, I suppose."

Jennifer said nothing for a moment before blinking in surprise. "Oh, that? Don't worry about it too much. I kinda, sorta, may or may not have been crushing on you ever since I first saw you." The Titan looked askance, the faintest hints of a blush gracing her cheeks.

Mara smiled graciously at her before continuing. "Even so, it was not right of me to do so. Such actions may be normal among the Reefborn, but not on Earth, as far as I know. Not to mention I was putting the relations between the Reef and the Last City at risk with my actions."

Ghost watched quietly, residing in his corner of hammerspace, gauging Mara's behaviour – he didn't know what tells the Queen had, and remained divided on whether the Awoken monarch was being sincere or not. It would remain up to Jennifer whether or not to believe.

_These aren't the straights you're looking for, _Invective whispered as it floated past Ghost, making the automata 'sigh'. Whoever decided that guns should have personalities obviously hadn't been thinking clearly.

"I suppose there's no other way to say this, but you are, among other things, a moral compass that I sorely needed," Mara continued. "When I took the throne from my predecessor, it was with the best of intentions, at the time. Her reign was a brutal one, yet I have, until recently, been just as ruthless as she was. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as the saying goes."

Mara finally looked Jennifer straight in the eyes, steeling herself. "What I mean is that I am going to be a better person – a better Queen, a better woman... and a better lover. For you."

_Well, this was something, _Ghost silently reasoned, noting how earnest Mara was with her words. A confession of this calibre clearly did not come easily to her.

"You don't have to treat me like a delicate flower, Mara." Jennifer finally spoke. "I know and understand that order must be enforced in the Reef. You've told me how the nobles vie for power every day, and how it undermines your efforts. If some heads have to roll, well, so be it. I can live with that."

Mara graced Jennifer with a thankful smile. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Beats me." The Titan shrugged, stepping closer to Mara, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman. "I do know that there's a one in twenty chance of me kissing you, however."

Their lips met, both women enjoying the solitude for several moments before pulling apart.

"Well, what are the odds of that?" Mara smiled impishly.

"Five percent exactly."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This chapter's delay sponsored by copious amounts of X-COM 2, Dragon's Dogma, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Elite: Dangerous, and Brutal Doom. At least I have that goddamned Anaconda now.**

* * *

This was not how Jennifer had intended to start her day.

The sleepy Titan had been roused from her slumber by faint mewling. Her senses coming back to her, she'd felt a patch of wetness with her foot. Worried that she was having a period all of a sudden, she'd taken a look under her blankets.

And promptly back-pedalled out of her bed at the sight of four squeaking, wriggling _things_ surrounding her cat.

The high-pitched squeal that left the Titan's vocal chords probably didn't help things either.

* * *

"We both knew Cat was pregnant, Titan. Why the fuss?"

Jennifer grumbled as she eyed the still-wet offspring of her pet, the lot of them rolling around on her bedsheets.

"I hadn't realised they would be like... this."

"Truly you are a master of eloquence." Ghost intoned bemusedly. "In any case, it's best to leave them as they are for now. We can relocate the whole litter to to somewhere more private later."

"If you say so..." Jennifer doubtfully muttered.

"I do say so. Now... hang on. I'm getting a message. It's from Nara. She says to come to the Tower. Apparently, it's urgent."

"Is that it?"

"Yep."

Groaning, Jennifer stood up and gathered her clothes.

_This better be important._

* * *

It was not.

"So, let me get this clear – Sal has joined a fireteam to go into the Vault of Glass, because she's determined to regain your attention after you stopped flirting with her, which, in turn, was caused because Cayde had a conversation with you. And now you want me to talk her out of it. Am I missing something?"

"Er, no." The Warlock sheepishly admitted, not at all comforted by her friend's belligerent mood.

"Then how is it my fault?"

"Because you found information about the bloody Vault! If Sal goes into there, she'll die!" Nara implored desperately.

"And you're the one who incessantly flirted with her and made advances towards Sal. This is your mess to fix."

"But-"

"You know just as well as I do that there's no challenge a Hunter can back down from. And Sal definitely outplayed you here, considering how you're reacting now." Looking around her for a moment, Jennifer continued in a quieter voice. "So, here's what you should do – go with her."

"Beg pardon?" Nara retorted in disbelief.

"Go with Sal and her group to the Vault of Glass. Work out whatever problems you two have. Besides, I sincerely doubt you'd let any harm come to her." When Nara said nothing, still indecisive, Jennifer continued. "If it helps, I can throw you off the Tower."

"Alright, alright, no need to go all Wei Ning on me." To stay on the safe side, Nara stepped outside of the Titan's reach.

"Good luck. You'll need it against the Vex." Jennifer bid farewell to her friend, to which Nara chuckled gregariously.

"No such thing as luck – just happenstance and coincidence."

"Those two are the one and the same, you know."

"To-may-to, to-mah-to." With a half-hearted wave, the Warlock left, the Titan following the longcoat-wearing figure until it disappeared from her line of sight.

* * *

"So, exactly when did your life turn into resolving lovers' spats instead of concussive diplomacy?" A synthesised voice reached her ears and she turned to regard Cayde-6, who was casually leaning against a nearby pillar, shuffling a well-worn deck of cards as he did so.

"Beats me." Jennifer shrugged, prompting the Exo Hunter to let out a hum of assent.

"Heh, beats." Looking up from the cards in his hands, he continued speaking. "All the same, I think we can both agree that it's for the best for everyone involved now that the situation is resolved, no?" Seeing the Titan nod, he returned his attention to the cards, which he hadn't stopped worrying over while talking. "Love makes you think stupid thoughts. Do stupid things. And say stuff one normally wouldn't be caught dead saying."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience." Jennifer offered, puzzled by the normally-upbeat Exo's behaviour.

Cayde said nothing at first, pausing as he examined the card that'd found its way to the top of the deck – a worn Queen of Hearts – and eyed the piece of laminated paper for several long moments before mixing it with the rest.

"Yeah..." Letting out a mechanical 'sigh', Cayde pushed himself away from the pillar he'd been leaning against, nodding in farewell to the Titan. "Well, duty calls. I gotta get back to being a glorified paperweight, and you've gotta return to, well, whatever you do these days. Take care of yourself, Guardian."

"You too, Cayde." That drew an amused chuckle from the Hunter as he shrugged in a what-can-you-do manner.

"When don't I?"

"That a trick question?" His Ghost chose that moment to pop into existence, and he sighed with mock resignation.

"Of course. Even my own Ghost gangs up against me. Kids these days..."

* * *

The messages from Future War Cult, Dead Orbit, and New Monarchy still arrived in her inbox each day. Jennifer dutifully ignored them all. She'd long ago decided that she would not be a pawn in the factions' vies for power. Sometimes, the people of the Last City forgot that they were dealing with what essentially were demigods who were not to be taken lightly.

Two Tex Mechanica flunkies learned that the hard way when they tried to bribe Shaxx in an attempt to rig Crucible matches to show that Tex Mechanica weapons were superior.

He'd responded with promises of dynamic entry upon their domiciles, carried out by belligerent Titans.

It soon became one of his most favourite tales to regale Crucible aspirants with – people quickly forgot the true meaning of the Crucible, seeing it as a sport or entertainment. It was, in fact, a literal and figurative crucible, upon which all Guardians would sharpen and hone their lethal skills to an ever sharper edge, and bring their might upon the Darkness's minions in their unending fight for survival.

Back to the topic at hand, however, she would not let the Factions push her around in their powerplay. The Darkness would not wait while they played their games.

Neither would the Guardians.

Neither would Cabal, who, under the guidance of their new Fleet Commander, performed deployments all across Earth, Venus, and Mars. The Guardians were their vanguard, performing scouting and sabotage against their enemies before the figurative steamroller in the shape of Cabal Legions rolled in, annihilating all resistance with their characteristic single-mindedness.

A scalpel and a sledgehammer were both useful in their own regard. But when they worked together, the damage wrought was of biblical proportions.

The Titan's contemplative mood was interrupted as she heard the skitter of tiny paws against floorboards of the living room – sufficiently distracted, she smiled as she saw three kittens all but gallop past her chair, chasing after each other. Their mother was idly lounging on the couch, basking in the sunlight. Once again appreciative of the company provided by her pets, Jennifer returned to filling out a report of yet another successful operation that Cabal forces had carried out.

The Earthbound Legion had routed the Fallen from what once was San Francisco, allowing the Last City's Cryptarchs and scientists scour the ancient ruins for any pre-Collapse technology or data that they might find. Knowledge of what exactly the Darkness was generally was mostly speculation, and likely only Rasputin would have hard data on their enigmatic foe. Sadly, the cantankerous Warmind stubbornly remained silent to all attempts of communication, continuing to activate numerous weapons systems all across the solar system.

To what end, no one knew, though, as always, gossip ran wild. The optimists said that any day now, the Warmind would come to Humanity's aid, once it gathered enough strength. The pessimists said that Rasputin's mind had failed with age following the thrashing it endured during the Collapse, and the allegedly-insane Warmind would annihilate what's left of them at some point in the future.

The Tower believed in neither, seeing Rasputin's rapid expansion as a means to ensure its own survival. The Warmind had, after all, been confined to the Cosmodrome for centuries, with nearly no knowledge of what transpired after its defiant stand against the Darkness. Many fireteams had set out into the wilds of Old Russia, in attempt to find where the Warmind resided, yet all returned empty-handed.

A set of tiny claws wrapped around her ankle and she looked down where one of the kittens valiantly wrestled with her leg. Chuckling, she reached down and scooped the diminutive animal, petting it fondly for a moment before letting it scamper away. Deciding to procrastinate no more, she resumed filling out the reports.

* * *

The nauseating vertigo of teleportation faded from her senses as Nara looked around, examining her surroundings, seeing not much beyond sand, sand-worn stones, sand, and, you guessed it – sand.

"Mars! We're on Mars!" She vocalised to the rest of her fireteam, and surely enough, received an immediate answer.

"Roger that! Moving to Mars gate! Get the Aegis!"

To her right, Palatine-5 grasped the shield, the Titan's armour scored with innumerable shot marks, and launched himself right into one of the nightmarish red apparitions that plagued them whenever Atheon did its best to destroy them. Not wasting any time, both she and the other Titan, a human woman going by the name of Armstrong, went to Palatine's aid, shooting the rest of the Vex creations as they appeared on their path to the gate, the archway of stone and Vex metal blooming into life.

"Shit, I'm going blind here..." Armstrong complained, smacking the side of her helmet, to no avail. Palatine came to her aid, activating the Aegis and cleansing both her and Nara from the blearing influence of the Vault of Glass as they went through the gate to rejoin their comrades.

They'd gone through this dog and pony show several times now, with Atheon seemingly teleporting several of their team to a faraway location on both Mars or Venus, the teleportees retrieving Kabr's shield, and relying on the others to ensure their return. Then they wailed on the shiny Vex bastard, using the bubble the Aegis projected to dispel Atheon's attacks.

At long last, it seemed their efforts were making progress – Atheon was covered in holes, its normally-pristine exterior marred by all manner of damage. Palatine charged through the portal, returning to the Vault, landing on a small platform, activating the Aegis.

"Witness the art of shooting bastards in the face passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" Armstrong bellowed as she followed suit, wielding her machine gun. Everyone else was at their side a moment later, sending a hail of lead towards Atheon, further augmented by grenades and blasts of both Void and Solar energy from Warlocks and Hunters, respectively. Something about the shield accelerated the recharge times of all their abilities. Just one more thing to thank Kabr for.

"The shield's going to have to recharge soon!" Palatine exclaimed over the din of gunfire.

That was not good. Their fireteam had been running themselves ragged for so long they'd lost track of time. Opening the Vault had been a challenge in and of itself. Dealing with the Templar and avoiding the Gorgons' baleful gaze was even more taxing a feat. They'd had to revive each other on numerous occasions so far as their spirits flagged.

It was then that Atheon could withstand no more. It had guarded the Vault of Glass since time immemorial, denying any and all obdurate intruders, removing them from the timeline with flawless efficiency.

Until now, that is. The tenacity of these new intruders vastly outclassed that of those before them. It could not erase them as it could the others.

With a demonic screech like that of a possessed punch-card computer, Atheon, the Time's Conflux, fell apart, leaving very little behind, as stunned silence fell over the Guardians. After a moment, however, seeing that their foe was fallen at last, they relaxed, with Palatine and Armstrong doing some sort of a celebratory headbutt.

"Hey, look! The bastard dropped engrams! Let's go and see what we've got." Sal exclaimed, double-jumping forwards, and others followed. True enough, a number of purple-hued objects was glimmering from within the small scraps of Atheon's remains. All were equally divided between the six Guardians.

"Lookie here, another loot box." Palatine exclaimed, lifting the lid on yet another golden chest – the fireteam had encountered these containers a couple of times as they progressed through the Vault. None could figure out who left them there, or where the sophisticated tech in the chests came from. In the end, they just chalked it up to Vex screwing with time.

Sal dipped her hand into the chest, lifting out an impressive hand cannon. Examining it briefly, she let her Ghost add it to her inventory, then looked to her right, seeing Nara approach, clad in her newly-acquired coat – it was, admittedly, stylish, white with gold and dark emerald accents. The Warlock had her helmet off, holding it in the crook of her left arm, her pulse rifle held in the other arm.

"You coming, Sal? Others think they've found a way out of this hellhole."

"Yeah, sure. Just feels like something's missing."

Equal parts worried and curious, Nara stepped closer. "What's missing?"

A confusing moment passed before Nara realised Sal had kissed her and was strutting away from her, the Hunter humming an upbeat tune to herself. The gears in the Warlock's head clicked and turned before she was able to come up with a coherent response.

"That's it? You'll just plant one on me and walk away like that?"

Sal briefly pivoted on her heel, flashing a smarmy smile at the stunned Guardian, and then continued on her way.

Coiled Hiss 1919 slipped from Nara's grasp, clattering on the ground.

_Congratulations. You played yourself,_ her Ghost snickered at her.

The Hunter had set the bait.

Now, it remained to be seen whether the Warlock would bite.

* * *

**A/N: And this is where I bring this story to a close. Thanks to everyone who ever read this and left a review/favourite/follow.**

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april fools suckas**  
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**Actual author's note: The part with the kittens is a thing that actually happened to me while I was a kid. Our family's cat gave birth to several kittens in my bed, at my feet. Also, the part with Cayde and the deck of cards is a reference to Queen of Hearts by Seventy-Four Mudkips. It's a very good two-shot, and you pals and gals should definitely check it out. I'd post a link, but you know how fucky gets with them. Anyways, happy Easter, y'all!**


	16. Chapter 16

Nara cursed herself, yet again, as she finished her glide, stealthily touching down on a rooftop. She just couldn't get her last exchange with Sal out of her mind, just like the poor sap who'd rebuilt Bad Juju and nearly lost his marbles as a result. That weapon most definitely had, er, bad juju.

Derailing that particular train of thought, Nara refocused on tracking her quarry, who was once again on the move. As quietly as she could, the Warlock began another glide, following the Hunter as they both wove a path through the narrow, high-walled alleyways. Having trailed after the other Guardian through the City for the better part of half an hour, the Warlock was now more than a little curious to find out just where Sal was leading her.

Alleys turned to paved streets, old and cracked with disuse, and Nara noted that they'd entered an abandoned hab district of some sort, with its previous occupants clearly having up and left a long time ago. It was no surprise to Nara – after all, a length of districts right next to the Wall had been turned into a buffer zone of sorts following the Twilight Gap, to ensure the people living further into the City wouldn't be harmed, should the Fallen make another attempt as brash against the massive city-state. Not that something of the sort would happen any day soon, what with Cabal making numerous incursions into Fallen territories, systematically annihilating any resistance the murderous scavengers put up.

Refocusing yet again, she followed Sal into a secluded courtyard amidst three abandoned apartment blocks. Warm sunlight spilled across the lush grass as the Hunter removed her helmet, running a hand through her navy blue hair. All of a sudden, Nara felt like a creep, spying on her fellow Guardian from afar.

Sal let out a long, piercing whistle, the sound echoing for several moments before Nara spotted activity from seemingly nowhere. It took her longer than she'd ever admit to notice the several cargo containers stacked against one of the blocks, expertly camouflaged. Much to her great surprise, five young children appeared from the containers, running towards the Guardian, who'd knelt, arms outstretched – moments later, she was tackle-hugged by the children, and their joyful laughter echoed distantly, barely reaching the Warlock's lofty perch.

The rumble of a jumpship zooming above the apartment blocks was less subtle – however, once Nara had refocused her attention, she saw a number of small crates that had been transmatted near the group on the ground. With the Hunter's help, the children levered the crates open, grabbing whatever was inside, and carrying the goods back to their concealed home. Sal followed suit, climbing along one of the rope ladders affixed to the containers' sides.

With the chances of being spotted noticeably lowered, Nara moved once more, silently gliding downwards, landing amidst the camo netting covering the containers as she examined the makeshift housing – a simple, but undoubtedly effective water collector and purifier had been set up on the roof, along with solar panels. None of it was modern in any way, but sometimes, the simplest way was the best.

_And pussyfooting around a Hunter that you're crushing on super hard is the exact opposite of simple__,_ her Ghost whispered, the traitor.

A scalding retort died in her throat as she saw the children run back outside, and she knelt down to remain unseen, carefully shuffling towards the nearest rope ladder. It took little effort to swing herself around the ledge and onto the makeshift balcony, landing with nary a sound. Unhooking her helmet, she set it down on a nearby table, taking a moment to take in her surroundings – the inside of the container had been thoroughly furnished. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was in a Middle Citu apartment. A wide couch, chairs, and a TV on the wall marked this as a living room. A staircase led to a kitchen-slash-dining room downstairs, and-

"Took your sweet time, didn't you? Didn't have to sneak, you know." Sal's voice reached her ears, and the Warlock froze on the spot.

_Uh-oh, spaghettios._

"I'll be out in a moment, so make yourself comfortable."

Quite speechless, Nara did as instructed, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs as she waited.

Just as Sal had mentioned moments earlier, she arrived, stepping through a concealed doorway, drying her wet hair with a towel, wearing nothing but a tank top and briefs that clung to her damp skin.

What are you, a hormonal teen? Stop staring already, Nara soundlessly berated herself, quickly averting her eyes.

"Relax, I'm not mad at you or anything." Sal chuckled, and Nara chanced another look, seeing the Hunter was now wearing a bathrobe. Not much of an improvement, but it was still better than seeing the other woman's curves on open display.

"Are you alright?" Sal spoke with concern as she sat down at Nara's side, the smell of honey and warm skin doing an excellent work of driving her giddy. All of a sudden, her courage departed for her legs. She likely would've bolted if it weren't for Sal's hand on her shoulder.

"Just relax. Take a deep breath." The other Guardian soothed.

It all came out at once – Nara poured out her life story to Sal without a second thought.

As a teenager, still living in the Reef, she'd heard a song – the Traveller's song, to be exact. At first, she'd ignored the beckoning call to come to Earth. Mara Sov did not rule at that time. No one left the Reef without risking their lives. But the haunting songs had done a good job of driving the young Awoken up the wall, so one day, she stole a warp-capable fighter and ran for Earth.

It had been a long and arduous trip to reach Earth, having braved death several times during her voyage. Knowing nothing about the songs that plagued her, it was her hope to find answers to the summons.

Instead, she found her end at the blades of a Fallen Captain. It had been then, her heart beating its last, that her Ghost had found her, and bequeathed the Traveller's light unto her. Striking out with primal fear, she'd burned the Captain and his gaggle of Dregs and Vandals to ash. She left her old life behind her, and became a Warlock.

It'd been a new life – filled with some sort of danger every day, sure, but none cared for what she had been before her rebirth. Instead, she found camaraderie among the men and women united by their duty to fight against minions of the Darkness. She'd learned of what had been before the Collapse, how the Awoken had come to be, and many more things – in sharp contrast, her life in the Reef had been a daily grind of 'work hard, not smart, keep your head bowed and obey your superiors'.

She'd established a reputation for herself as an upstanding Guardian in the years since her arrival. Social, outgoing, kind to the people of the City – everything their reputation with the citizens needed to be. But, as with all nice things, it wasn't meant to last.

During one of her trips to Inner City, she'd met a man – young, handsome, and charming. They'd quickly developed a rapport with each other, finding common ground in science. Being in his company stirred feelings in her that she'd never felt before – one thing led to another, and they'd begun dating.

Life had seemed perfect at that time – she was a friend of the Last City and its inhabitants, a man loved her not because of her position as a Guardian, but because he was attracted to her. She was, as the saying went, on Cloud 9.

Until he died.

It was not old age that claimed him – with the Traveller's coming, human lifespan had been extended many times. Instead, a drunk driver had run him down. Neither of them survived.

At first, she'd been inconsolable, unable to believe the news, spending hours weeping. Then, her grief turned to anger, infuriated by the unfairness of the world, and she spent many days wandering the wilderness, tearing apart anything that stood in her way.

Eventually, her rage had petered out, and her thoughts turned to suicide, a notion that terrified her Ghost to no end – she'd pleaded with the Warlock, doing everything she could to convince Nara otherwise.

Shame had overtaken her afterwards – she was a Guardian. Such behaviour hardly befitted her. Her mind wandered in dark places for many days before she knew that she had to move on. The world, with its wonders and terrors would not wait on her.

"Took me some time, but I eventually worked up the courage to make peace with the cold, stark reality. I visited his grave, making a promise that I wouldn't let anyone else get in my heart. Yet you got inside like the door was open. Fat lot of good those wows did for me, eh?"

Sal said nothing, instead attentively continuing to listen.

"I should've known you were going to be trouble." Nara chuckled mirthlessly, pinching the bridge of her nose, letting out a weary sigh. "I wore my heart on my sleeve, and all I got in return was heartache."

Her self-pitying tirade was ended as Sal reached out, gently grasping the Warlock's hand. Briefly stunned, Nara looked up at her fellow Guardian, mesmerized by the woman's hawk-eyed gaze.

"Do you think he would want you to go on like this, dragging along this kind of emotional luggage, not letting anyone help?"

"No..." The answer came readily enough to her, surprising even herself in how true it felt.

"Then you need to let go of your fear. I can help you, but only if you let me." Sal continued, her voice warm and earnest. Still, Nara tried feebly to resist.

"I don't know if I can bear the thought of you dying for real if your Ghost cannot revive you in time..." The Warlock muttered despondently.

"I cannot force you to make this decision. It is a choice only you can make. But let me tell you one last thing – it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

Nara looked at Sal in surprise, not having expected something quite so profound from the Hunter. The raid on Vault of Glass had certainly galvanised the young Guardian.

Warmth took hold in her chest as she finally let down her emotional barriers, still recalling how she'd felt in his company. Truly, she'd done a disservice to his memory by ignoring her emotional needs.

No more, she resolutely decided. It was long overdue that she turned a new page in her life.

Sal must've seen the expression on her face change, for she smiled warmly.

"I guess that's a yes, then?"

In lieu of speaking, Nara leaned forward, a gesture Sal returned-

"Mom? We're- oh. You have a guest."

The two Guardians froze, caught in the act, turning to face the newcomer – a boy in early teens standing in the doorway.

"'Mom?'" Nara queried curiously, making Sal grin sheepishly.

"Adopted, all five of them. I could not, in good conscience, leave them to survive on their own."

It certainly was proof of the young Hunter's determination to help the people of the Last City, one way or another. It spoke volumes about Sal that she found time to be a Guardian, and a parent, to boot – almost immediately, she felt her respect for Sal deepen.

"Let me introduce you to the others, yes?" Seeing Nara nod, she turned to address the boy. "Jack, please let the others know we're going to have a guest for dinner tonight!"

Jack nodded and sped off, leaving them alone once more, though Sal stood up, beckoning Nara to follow – it was a surprise when she was spun around by the other Guardian, moreso when Nara kissed her hard, prompting a muffled squeal from Sal.

"You're like a drug that I just can't quit..." She whispered to the Hunter once their lips parted.

_Well, well, well, how the turntables..._ Sal's Ghost snickered in the back of her head, very much enjoying the drama as his Guardian stammered, at a loss for words.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know, another filler chapter. But the next chapter will have some actual progress far as the main story's concerned.**


	17. Chapter 17

Loremaster Valandor was so occupied with the big slab of stone that he didn't even notice her approaching footsteps at first, intensely busying over the rough surface with bare hands, muttering to himself quietly.

"Loremaster."

The elder Caballite paused, straightening his back as he turned to bow to Jennifer.

"Fleet Commander. How can I help you?"

"Oh, I'm simply curious about what you're doing right now." The Titan gestured to the stone slab, and Valandor chuckled, jabbing a series of commands into a nearby console. Almost instantly, slabs of metal rose from the floor, unfolding as they did so, presenting numerous stone-carved illustrations, all of them featuring Cabal soldiers.

"I commit the deeds of Cabal to memory. It is another tradition passed down the ages, from a time when we did not have a written language. Messages and news were spread by using intricate carvings. As years passed, it became an immense honour to receive a Memory of Stone." He gestured to one of the slabs. "That one was made in celebration of Valus Ta'aurc's promotion to the post of Fleet Commander."

Jennifer took a closer look, recognising Ta'aurc's armoured bulk, kneeling before an even bigger Caballite. "And who's that?"

"That is The Emperor." Valandor spoke with such awe in his voice that Jennifer could not help but raise an eyebrow at, having noticed the emphasis on capitalisation.

"Does he have a name?"

"No." The Loremaster shook his head. "Upon swearing the inauguration wows, his life as it was had ended. Now, his duty and responsibilities are to his people, and he will bear the name of Emperor until his death or until he is succeeded."

"Wow. When you guys commit, you _commit."_ Jennifer whistled, more than a little impressed, before looking back at the blank slab. "So, who's going to get this one?"

Valandor let out a rumbling chuckle at that. "Why, it's yours."

"Well, that's nice-WHAT? Uh, I'd like to, but I've got a thing to do at the place at that time, you know how it is." The Titan confusedly tried to backpedal out of this, but Valandor wasn't having any of it.

"You are a terrible liar, Fleet Commander. I only wish to hear your story, so that I can get started on the carving. Do humour an old man in his twilight years."

"I second that!" Ghost manifested, unbidden, and Jennifer's shoulders slumped in defeat. Seeing no other way out, she complied, regaling the Loremaster with her story, starting with how Ghost had resurrected her, having sought her out for many centuries.

If nothing else, Valandor was an attentive listener, taking notes occasionally as she described Devil Captain, Rahn, or the eldritch smiths – the Swarm Princes - of Crota's Sword whom she'd killed with their creation. Valandor had guffawed loudly at the irony of that event, glad to know such a vile weapon was no more.

She continued retelling her exploits across Earth, Moon, and Mars – even the brief forays into the Reef were carefully disseminated. But for most part, the elderly Caballite was interested in her clashes with Vex, whose time-warping powers left much to speculation.

"...I mean, I'm fairly sure that they could've gone back in time to a point where I was still as weak as Guardians get and erased me then. But clearly, they didn't, and I doubt they left me alone because they were sporting and wanted to have a proper fight, because that's not how machines think."

"Hmm..." Valandor hummed thoughtfully, typing something down on his datapad. "You said you were dead, yes? No biological functions or anything of the sort?"

"Dead as dead could get."

"Then that, I dare say, was your saving grace. But then again, I'm an old coot that might full well be talking out of his ass."

"Uh, I don't follow-" She was interrupted as Ghost darted up into air.

"It makes perfect sense, actually. I mean, we'd need to get some Warlocks to verify this, but it checks out. Since you were dead, very much so, you'd been removed from the timeline, so to speak. The Vex wouldn't need to bother with you. When I revived you, rebuilding you from Traveller's Light, the Vex either did not take note of your return, or were unable to intervene due to the unorthodox method of your rebirth."

"Ah, he understands!" Valandor nodded approvingly, a deep, rumbling chuckle emanating from his throat. "That is exactly what I mean. Then again, nothing is certain with those infernal automatons."

"Like them unable to figure out what the Heart of the Black Garden is, so they turn to worshipping it?" Ghost added helpfully.

"Oh, this I must hear. But perhaps at another time. I've held you up long enough, Fleet Commander. No doubt we've both things to do." With a respectful bow, Valandor turned his attention to the large stone slab, pulling out a number of stonemason's tools from a belt pouch, beginning his work.

* * *

A line of Legionnaires nursing various wounds drew Jennifer's attention as she unhurriedly proceeded down a hallway within her flagship – all the wounded were patiently waiting to enter the medical quarters. Curious, she quickly slipped inside, presented with the sight of the dreadnought's main authority on medicine and everything it involved – Apothecary Dhael, who was currently busy treating a bruised Legionnaire. Despite the Cabal's generally stubborn reluctance when it came to admitting themselves for medical treatment, the soldier in question remained still, so as not to incur Dhael's cantankerous wrath.

"Fleet Commander." Dhael didn't do much to acknowledge her asides from the greeting.

"Is there anything I should be concerned about? There's a pretty big line outside."

"As far as I can gather, they were partaking of some archaic type of combat simulator made centuries ago on Earth, albeit one that involves combating fictional creatures within an eldritch dimension of damnation and torment."

"Just what exactly was it?" The Titan queried, half-dreading the potential answer already.

"I believe the troops called it Doom."

"What?" Yeah, his answer didn't clear things up much.

"Apparently, the soldiers were... overexcited by its design. They took their excitement out on their fellows."

"Traveller in a handbasket..." Jennifer sighed exasperatedly. Such were consequences of being in charge of a people that easily took to everything that was even remotely military. On one hand, it helped the Cabal to see humanity in a new light once they learned of their many conflicts in the past.

On the other hand, seeing Sand Eater rookies bodyslam Vex while shouting 'Witness me!' at the top of their lungs provided much consternation for their commanders, and, by extension, plenty of headache for her.

"Alright, I'm making a new rule here. Before anything Earth-related is passed to our rank and file for cultural exchange – which has so far been a mixed success - I get to inspect it beforehand. We really don't need another repeat of this sort of rancour, now do we?"

"I couldn't agree more, Fleet Commander."

"As you were, then. If the ship blows up, I'll be in my quarters."

* * *

The remainder of the trip to the Reef was thankfully uneventful, save for several reports from unmanned craft sent to as of yet unexplored areas. Drones and such were a necessity so as not to run afoul or Rasputin-controlled weaponry, which all agreed would be a bad turn of events, indeed.

All the same, a number of mostly-intact caches and pre-Collapse warships had been discovered, and were taken back to the Reef's impressive drydocks, since the Last City had only the capacity for constructing jumpships and not much else. Albeit slowly, humanity was establishing a foothold in the solar system, ready to reclaim what was theirs. Jennifer had even, with the help Cabal tacticians, drawn up a number of plans to enact in the future, depending on how their situation changed.

No longer would they hide behind the Wall, waiting for good fortune to trickle down to them. The stars were their birthright. And it was most definitely something worth fighting for.

* * *

Mara let out a short curse as several sheets slipped from the small pile she was carrying, and bent down to pick the wayward files up. Jennifer, who'd happened to glance over at that moment, had a brief, but vicious internal struggle with her brain.

_Do the thing that could have consequences._

_**Why?**_

_You gotta._

"You have a nice butt."

Mara blushed, turning around to look at Jennifer. "Beg pardon?"

"I said, 'you have a nice butt.'"

"Ah..." Mara replied, stunned, and made a quick exit, leaving Jennifer to berate herself. Her internal self-admonishment didn't last long, however, when Mara returned, having swapped her trousers for short shorts and knee-high socks.

Jennifer couldn't help but stare, her blush intensifying as Mara sashayed over to her, hips swaying, and did a small spin, all the while the Titan was undressing her lover with her eyes.

Suddenly, she was yanked forward, ending up sprawled on top of the other woman, courtesy of two fingers hooked through a belt loop. She didn't have much time to consider her new position before Jennifer kissed her fiercely, one of the Guardian's hands settling on the Queen's rear and giving a firm squeeze. Near-immediately, Jennifer's effort was rewarded as Mara lustily moaned into her mouth.

* * *

"THEY WILL ATONE FOR THEIR SINS IN THE UNDERWORLD."

"..."

" Singin' doo-wah-diddy, diddy-dum-diddy-doo! "

"Are you quite alright?" Uldren queried, raising an eyebrow at Ghost.

" IT'S F̅ͣ̚I̘̳̖͚̭̙̥̊ͮN̝͉̩̻͋̀͆͊́ͭ̚͢E̯͔̾̄ͮͬͮ̕ͅ ."

* * *

"If you keep that up, we'll find out whether or not third time is the charm." Jennifer hummed pleasantly as Mara traced one the scars across the Titan's bare back with her fingers.

"I might just take you up on that offer. At a time when I have a sturdier bed." The monarch replied coyly, wrapping her arms around Jennifer's waist, hugging the other woman from behind, basking in the furnace-like heat the Guardian emanated.

"Y'know, if your hands go where I think they're going, I'll do you just like I do the reports I get from the Cabal – on a table and for three hours, with a ten minute break for snacks." There was no real bite in her voice, however. It was more of a challenge, if anything.

Mara did the thing, prompting Jennifer to let out a chuckle.

"Well, it's not my fault that you have such a very nice pair of breasts..." Mara cooed, pulling herself closer to Jennifer. "Scratch that, you have a very nice everything."

"Flatterer." Jennifer chuckled, turning slightly to kiss Mara. Without warning, she swept the blue-skinned seductress up in her arms, lifting her lover from the bed. Mara could only let out an eep as Jennifer pinned her against the table, both her lover's intense gaze and the cool surface against her back giving her the chills. It came as somewhat of a surprise to Mara that she rather enjoyed having control taken from her – and if she was being brutally honest to herself, being at Jennifer's mercy was a turn-on like no other.

Her internal monologue was interrupted as she felt her lover's mouth on her and everything became bliss.

* * *

Uldren hummed quietly to himself as he entered Mara's quarters, a stack of papers held in his hands. Seeing his sibling was nowhere nearby, he took it upon himself to ensure the papers would not go astray, sitting down at Mara's table, pulling the drawers open, and distributing the individual folders where they were meant to be. His task did not take too long, and he left a note on the table for his sister. As he made to leave, he noticed something was amiss.

"The table's sticky," The Prince wondered aloud. "why is it sticky?"


	18. Chapter 18

"We'll take back the Moon."

Jennifer's proposal was met by silent stares as Zavala, Ikora, and Cayde eyed her, nonplussed.

"Uh, don't mean to be a Negative Nancy, Guardian, but the last time we tried that, we got our asses beat, big-time." Cayde finally spoke. "I know what I'm talking about – I was there when we retreated."

"It was the biggest army we'd ever assembled – so many of us, young, angry, full of Light and righteous wrath. And Crota's hordes butchered them in droves. It was all for naught in the end." Ikora intoned darkly.

"Well, hate to say so, but from what I've read, it was a tactical disaster on the Guardians' side." The Titan retorted. Scandalised, the Vanguard opened their mouths to protest before Jennifer continued. "Look, just hear me out on this. Guardians have always worked best in fireteams of three or six, right?"

Zavala, Cayde, and Ikora all nodded silently, not quite sure what she was getting at.

"In small numbers like that, we can extend our reach quite far and wide, and enemy forces have significant problems responding to a fireteam with a force large enough to overcome the Guardians. But an army of thousands of Guardians can be easily kept track of, and with the Hive's near-infinite numbers, pinned down where their strength does not help. Was there ever even a plan beyond 'go to the Moon and shoot the Hive until they're dead', I wonder?"

Zavala's facial expression suggested he seemed like he was doing his best to sit on a black car seat during a particularly hot summer day.

"...There was not." Ikora reluctantly admitted.

"See? Straight from the mouths of babes." Cayde added his two cents. "So, Irons, what do you suggest we do?"

"We sneak in as many fireteams as we can without compromising the City's security. We plant high explosives in Hellmouth, bring the whole place crashing down at the correct time. We've got a fleet of Cabal warships gathering dust above Mars. Might as well put them to use."

"That might soften the Hive up in preparation for an invasion. But you said it yourself – big formations of Guardians are vulnerable. How do you propose we take care of that?" Zavala inquired.

"The Cabal bust down the front door, keep the bulk of the Hive busy while a hand-picked team slips in from behind and finds wherever Crota sleeps, and puts him down by any means necessary."

"I doubt it'll be as simple as that, Guardian." Cayde interjected.

"Well, then I guess we best get to planning the attack, no? This is a good a time as any to take back what's rightfully ours. We've got the goodwill of both the Cabal and the Reef. Let's not waste it. Let's ensure all those Guardians did not die for nothing. Let's teach the Hive just how hard we can hit back."

Ikora was the first to speak, albeit hesitantly. "A small part of me rails against this, claiming it is madness, that we should be exceedingly careful. But the rest of me agrees with you wholeheartedly. I want to watch the Hellmouth's caverns and catacombs _burn." _For a moment, the Warlock's fiery temperament resurfaced, a character trait that she'd been widely known for during her more adventurous years.

"I doubt the Hive would ignore us, after we've pierced deep into their strongholds and defiled their 'sacred' places. The time for an offensive has come. We'll not get anything done by sitting idle." Zavala added, his countenance that of utter seriousness as everyone in the room turned to look at Cayde.

"Need you even ask?" Cayde exclaimed incredulously, shrugging in a 'can-you-believe-this-crap' sort of manner. "I've not left the Tower in years! You think I'd pass up the chance to get out and actually be useful for once? There's a lot of bastards out there, just begging for a bullet between their eyes. I'll gladly brain more than a few of the creepy-crawlies."

Jennifer smiled at his bravado, standing up straight. "We're agreed, then. I'll get my tacticians on the horn, see if we can't hammer out a proper plan of attack."

* * *

"Guardian."

"Shaxx."

The two Titans regarded each other silently for a moment.

"So I hear you're planning an attack on the Hellmouth."

"That I am, indeed."

The Crucible Handler let out a non-committal grunt, turning to regard one of the screens in front of him.

"How're the newbies doing in the Crucible?"

"Good enough. Had to reprimand some of them for overt eagerness."

Jennifer nodded silently at that – there was an unspoken stigma attached to Guardians who looked towards gunning down their fellows in the arenas. First and foremost, the Crucible was a tool with which to galvanize and toughen up the newly reborn, so that when the time came to face the full brunt of the Last City's enemies, they did not waver and falter. Of course, this invariably lead to some Guardians breaking down, unable to endure the experience of multiple resurrections – they would never take to the field of battle. Even so, their talents did not go to waste, and they were allowed to serve the Last City in a myriad other ways.

Sadly, Shaxx had to, more often than he liked, reiterate the true meaning of Crucible's purpose – it was not a blood sport. It was a means to make every Guardian stronger than rock, sharper than a razor, to dole out the grievances of an entire world upon their hateful foes.

"We're probably going to march to our deaths, you know." Shaxx's rough voice interrupted her internal monologue.

"You're probably right." Jennifer sighed softly.

"But what a march it'll be." Shaxx replied, his tone proud and determined. "Come what may, we'll do our duty. You can count on that."

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks the impending invasion was properly fleshed out as Guardians infiltrated the Hellmouth, smuggling powerful explosives into locations vital to maintain the colossal stronghold's structural integrity. Caches of supplies and munitions were concealed in forward positions on the satellite's surface. Reconnaissance satellites were placed at Lagrangian points around Earth's orbit, letting the allied forces keep an eye on most goings-on around the planet. The factories of the Last City churned day and night, millions of workers labouring restlessly, their determination fueled by the news that had spread throughout the City like a wildfire.

_We're going to retake the Moon,_ the words were repeated endlessly, both with dread and awe. All knew how badly the Guardians had suffered the previous time such an attempt had been made. But things were different now – both the Reef and Cabal stood with them, and the City was stronger than it'd ever been before. A spirit of solidarity and unity had been roused among the City's inhabitants, be they Exo, human, or Awoken. All were doing their part, whether by joining scavenging operations outside the Wall, working the factories, or volunteering for the City Militia.

Of course, this had the side effect of adding a buttload of paperwork for Jennifer to do. She bore it without complaint, knowing that all of this had been her idea. It was her responsibility to see it through to the end. All the same, she always looked towards taking a day off, for fear of burning herself out. Preferably snoozing in her bedroom during a thunderstorm, listening to the weather rage outside.

Like now, for example, as the downpour of raindrops mutely beat against the window. Traveller's massive form did something fierce to the hot and cold air masses around the Last City – when it rained, it rained _hard, _often with next to no warning. On the downside, mudslides were a bitch to deal with. On the upside, it meant the City was bursting with greenery.

_Guardian?_

Yeah?

_I've received a message from Nara. She wants to meet you at the Tower._

Alright. Tell her I'll be there soon.

Humming to herself, the Guardian stood up, passively watching as her body was enveloped in a blue glow, soon replaced by armour plating as Ghost transmatted her armour onto her.

Beam me up, Scotty.

_Guh._

* * *

The rainstorm hadn't abated by the time she'd arrived at the Tower, with the raindrops drumming against her helmet at a pace even Tomas Haake would be jealous of. Some loony Guardians were dancing atop the guardrail, heedless of the slippery surface – a few did eventually slip and tumble over the edge, but were soon resurrected, and rejoined the party. Light made death cheap like that.

It didn't take long to track down the Awoken Warlock, who was quietly conversing with several of her fellows, with Sal standing off to the side, rocking back and forth on her heels idly.

"Ah! Jennifer. There you are." Nara grinned, waving in greeting as she heard the Titan approach.

"Heya." Sal followed suit.

"Is that The Last Word?" Suddenly, Ghost.

Sal blinked as Jennifer's Ghost zoomed over to her, inspecting the hand cannon on her hip. "The what, now?"

"Only one of the most famous weapons ever held by a Guardian." Ghost retorted as Sal blinked again, choosing to examine the impressive weapon closer. "Jaren Ward passed it onto Shin Malphur when he met Malphur as a young child during his travels. He wielded it with skill and bravery, 'bringing justice to the lawless frontier', as it were. Last anyone ever heard of Malphur was when he tracked down and killed Dredgen Yor with it, following Yor's murder of more than one Guardian. Ever since, The Last Word's popped up here and there in the annals of history, but none of it can be confirmed due to lack of reliable sources. Where'd you find it?"

"The Vault of Glass." Ghost let out a resigned sigh at that.

"Figures it'd be the Vex that got their claws or whatever on it. Well, now it's back in the hands of a Guardian. As it should be. It's a Tex Mechanica weapon, though, so don't keep it visible when Shaxx is around. He'll have a hissy fit."

"Thanks for the history lesson, Ghost. Anyways, Nara, I presume you called me here for a reason." Jennifer interjected.

"Oh, yes. I did, indeed. Remember how you told me about those nightmares of yours? The ones where you saw yourself die? Well, I passed it to some of our best thanatonauts, and they seem to think it could be a portent of sorts, a sign of things to come. After all, few have ventured deeper down in the Hellmouth than you. It would be no surprise if it'd left some mark on you."

"Means we want to take a look inside your mind." One of the Warlocks interjected. "Of course, being that you are a Titan, we'll have to shoehorn the process. Worst case scenario, you die pointlessly a couple of times and one of us ends up getting concussive dentistry from you."

"What if you see something I don't want you to know about?" _Like a secret relationship with a certain Awoken monarch, for example?_

"Forcing one's way into personal memories – of which there are a wide variety – is mind rape in everything but the name. I'll be wary of anything that you don't want me to look at." Seeing the Titan was still doubtful, he continued. "Think of it as dodging something thrown at you – it's all about reflexes. If we approach a memory that I sense you don't want me to see, I'll know to avoid it. Sound good?"

"Er, yes. I'm just a little nervous, is all."

"Perfectly understandable." The Warlock nodded. "Now, then. Are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes."

"Then follow me."

* * *

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't more than a little apprehensive, Jennifer reflected silently as she tried not to fidget on the chair – Nara, along with the other Warlocks, took up positions around her, channeling their energies, performing rituals she couldn't even begin to guess as to their purpose.

"And now, for the ritual to proceed, you'll have to, er, die." The thanatonaut in charge sounded almost apologetic. Immediately, a chorus of 'Not it' filled the chamber, leaving only Nara, blinking in surprise.

"Bastards... Sorry, Jennifer."

"Ah, don't worry-" The Titan was interrupted as the Warlock flicked her wrist – for a moment, Jennifer was sure her very soul would come apart at the seams, considering the strength behind Nara's blow.

Well, it seemed that whatever the thanatonauts did, had worked. Jennifer was weightlessly floating in an equally weightless void, a myriad pinpricks of light orbiting her non-corporeal form.

_Ah, here we are, _she heard a voice from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"And where is 'here'?"

_An interpretation of your mind and the memories contained within. _Sure enough, the beads of light circling her were of varying brightness – some were wholesome and shone brilliantly, while others were cracked and worn, producing only the faintest glimmer.

Curious, the Titan reached out to touch one of the lights – almost immediately, the featureless void changed to one that she instantly recognised.

It was a perfect recreation of her kitchen, a music player blaring from its position on the table, and the Guardian in question, singing along, hips swinging from side to side as she prepared a meal.

_It's the end, the war has been lost  
Keeping them safe 'til the river's been crossed  
Nicht ein Schlacht, ein Rettungsaktion  
Holding their ground 'til the final platoon  
"Hurry up, we're waiting for you"  
Men of the 9th and civilians too!  
Dispossessed, surrendering to the West*_

Embarrassed, Jennifer let go of the mote of light, and the scene faded away into nothingness.

_It sounds like a fine song, very much befitting a soldier such as yourself, _came the Warlock's amused voice.

"Can we move on and pretend this didn't happen?"

_As you wish. _One could almost hear his smile before silence set in. It was a couple of seconds later – or it could've been a millennium – she heard his voice again. _Here we go – I've found a memory. Quite an ancient one, too. Shall we take a look?_

"Sure, go ahead." Soon as the words left her lips, everything dissolved into light and noise before reforming into a new scene.

* * *

_She runs, nearly stumbling as her legs propel her adolescent body across the beach, playfully avoiding the waves as they crash against the sand. A pair of arms carefully scoop her up from behind, and she shrieks with delight as she finds herself briefly weightless, before she's turned about, and sees the kind, joyful face of her mother, her father jogging up to them, carrying with him a number of juice bottles his sun-kissed face also bearing a wide smile._

"_Gotcha!" Her mother says, and she can only laugh in return as the sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon._

* * *

_She briefly pokes at her bloodied nose, satisfied to see the bleeding's stopped. Her knuckles are sore, being bruised as they are. It was nothing compared to what her opponent had gone through, however – he was curled up in fetal position, face bruised and with a busted lip. Weak whimpers issue from the boy and she couldn't help but sneer. Bullies were always weak when they met someone who wouldn't let them run roughshod over others._

_Turning her attention away from him, she bent down to pick up the glasses, noting with displeasure that one of the legs had almost snapped off. Humming irritatedly, she stretched out a hand towards the raven-haired girl cowering to her side._

"_Come on. He can't hurt you now." The girl, probably fourteen years old, cast a hesitant glance at her attacker, before accepting the offered aid._

"_Sh-shouldn't we report this to a teacher?"_

"_Look, if anyone ever picks on you or anything, come to me. I'll sort them out right." She returns the girl's glasses, who still looks worried._

"_But won't you get in trouble for that?"_

"_Wouldn't be the first time I caught flak for this." She shrugs nonchalantly. "Anyways, I'm Linda. What's yours?"_

"_Samantha. My name's Samantha."_

"_Nice to meet you... Aw, hell." She trailed off as she saw a teacher, bearing a cross expression, storm towards them. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."_

* * *

_Suspended for a week. Could've been worse, she idly reflects as she goes outside, her parents right behind her._

"_So, how quickly did you take him down?"_

"_Alex, don't encourage her!" Her mother protested, before looking around and lowering her voice. "In all seriousness, though, did that punk give you any trouble?"_

"_Nah. His swings were quite sloppy. It's almost like he didn't expect me to actually fight back."_

"_Attagirl." Alex fondly ruffled her unruly hair, and she only half-heartedly swatted at his hand._

"_This suspension isn't going to do your grades any favours, you know." Still, her mother worried._

"_Maria, what was she supposed to do, try to track down a teacher during recess? Who knows how long that hooligan would've kept abusing that girl in the meanwhile."_

"_If stopping a bully means I finish school with above-average grades, I think that's a fair trade." She declared proudly, and her mother facepalmed resignedly._

"_You two are entirely too chivalrous for this world... Alright, to hell with it. Who wants ice-cream?"_

_And then they had ice-cream and there was much rejoicing, and that's good, amen.**_

* * *

_She could barely stop herself from laughing as Samantha kept making faces at her homework – her friend's proverbial Achilles' Heel was math, and she always stumbled at the more complicated tasks. Well, it was more like a freight train going off rails than anything else._

_And she was all too stubborn to accept any help, shooing Linda away until she'd solved the problem through force of sheer anger. It was equal parts adorable and hilarious._

_Well, at least she wasn't too proud to accept Sam's offer of help when it came to studying history, so at least there's that._

_It'd become somewhat of a routine for the two girls – ever since their less-than-stellar first meeting, Linda watched out for her, as she did for the others who'd been given grief by the unruly elements of their school. They'd become steadfast friends since then, doing just about anything together, whether it be studying, watching movies, or gossiping._

* * *

"_Gran Torino. A classic if there ever was one." Linda mutters quietly, letting out a yawn so as not to wake Samantha up, who'd fallen asleep near the end of the movie. Scooping up the remote, she turns the TV off, and turns to look at her friend, considering whether or not to leave her on the living room couch. She soon decides against it – Sam is both a guest and a friend._

_Her mind thus made up, she carefully scoops the other girl up, letting out a quiet grunt at the effort. She moves quietly through her house, since it's two in the morning, and her parents are asleep. It doesn't take long to reach the guest bedroom and settle her friend down on the bed – humming quietly to herself, she pulls the blanket over Sam._

_Then, quickly checking to see if she is actually asleep, she bends down and briefly presses her lips to the girl's cheek before sneaking out._

* * *

She comes back to life, disoriented and confused. However, she doesn't have much time to ponder on this before she's cold-cocked into death once more.

"Ghk-"

* * *

_The stinging late December air made them both pull their scarves up to their noses as they milled about on the riverside near the bridge, with a perfect view of the firework-laden barges anchored far on the other shore._

_Sam grumbled as she fished her cellphone out from her pocket, the gloves, warm but unwieldy, making the task somewhat complicated – she more or less has to punch the keypad to make its screen light up._

"_Twenty seconds."_

_Linda grunts at that, stomping about for a few moments to ward off the cold slowly seeping its way into her toes. Perhaps they should've stayed at home, she reflects. Maybe they wouldn't have as good a view, but at least they wouldn't be freezing their asses of right now. But Samantha, who had a certain way with words, succeeded to lure her friend outside._

"_...eight, seven, six..." Linda turned to face Sam as the other girl counted down. "...five, four, three, two, one." At that, she stood up on her toes, pulling their scarves down before she kissed Linda, softly, tentatively. A split-second later, the first of the fireworks squealed, rocketing upwards, and the dark sky was suddenly filled with a maelstrom of vibrant colours._

_Sam seemed more than a little anxious one she broke the kiss, shrugging unsurely. "Er... happy New-mmph!" Whatever she was going to say was immediately forgotten as Linda pulled her back in for another kiss. In the distance, she can hear faint, barely-audible cheering as people celebrate the beginning of a new year. And for a moment, it's as if the whole world's cheering for them._

* * *

Life returned to her once more – the taste of burnt blood at the back of her throat she noticed first, followed by tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt sick.

* * *

_The golden ring on her finger glittered in the sunlight-_

* * *

Something had exploded – a short moment ago, it seemed. The smell of ozone hung in the air as Jennifer pulled herself upright, mind reeling from the images she'd seen, ignoring the questioning glances from the Warlocks around her. Wordlessly, she staggered outside, paying no attention to Nara as the Warlock tried to talk to her.

* * *

The numbness in her mind hadn't abated in the least once she returned to her home, peeling her armour, letting the pieces fall on the floor as she automatically made her way to the bedroom. Ghost trailed after her, unsure what to say. Though, to be fair, few Guardians who chose to uncover their former life reacted well to memories of pre-Collapse times. Old world blues, it was called, when Guardians became heartsick and longed for times long gone. Some had wandered off into the wastes, never to return, and became a cautionary tale for everyone else. Still, the siren call of their pasts often beckoned to some Guardians.

Ghost's spirits plummeted further when he reached the bedroom, seeing his Guardian curled up in middle of the bed. He zoomed closer, trying to pull the blanket over Jennifer with his shell. His efforts were thwarted as the Titan reached out, curling her fingers around his small form, clutching him to her chest, silent sobs shaking her body.

"Why did this happen, Ghost?" Jennifer muttered tearily. "Why did the Traveller come to us, and not go somewhere else? Why did it bring the Darkness here? Why did it let everything be destroyed?"

A myriad answers ran through the small machine's mind, and none would soothe his Guardian's distress.

"I don't know." He said, and it was the truth.

* * *

When morning came, Jennifer was surprised she was still the same person as before. Nevertheless, it felt like she was going through well-rehearsed motions as she went outside on the terrace, wordlessly leaning against the balustrade, Ghost hovering at her side.

"So, uh... You were married, it seems." Ghost started, unsure.

"Linda was. I'm just someone else who's wearing the face of a dead woman."

That certainly put an end to that line of conversation.

"When does it end, Ghost? When do the Guardians get their happy ending? When will _I _get my happy ending?" The Titan sighed wearily, rubbing her face.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this, but until the Darkness and its servants are dead, there is no rest for any of us." That elicited another sigh from Jennifer, who turned her head to look at Ghost.

"What would have you done if I'd never gone to the City? If I'd taken that jumpship and flown off to some remote corner and left the Traveller and its problems behind me?"

"I'd have gone with you."

"Really?" Jennifer stood up straighter, regarding Ghost with curiosity.

"Well, I'd be talking your ear off to convince you to go back, but I'd be there with you. Every step of the way, come hell or high water."

Jennifer smiled wanly at that, reaching out and picking Ghost up, planting a light kiss just above its eye.

"Thanks." She offered gratefully, before lowering her voice to a whisper. "And don't tell Mara I macked on you."

"I could be persuaded not to."

"You're a damn pirate, Ghost." Jennifer snorted. "Alright, name your price."

"Get me a new shell and we'll call it even."

"Deal." Ghost did a victory loop in the air before speaking again.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"To tell the truth? No. But I'll have to deal with it when I have the time for it. Because right now, there's a bunch of Hive bastards that need to have their teeth kicked in."

* * *

**A/N: This is what happens when I download a bunch of Hearts of Iron 4 mods so I can play as Latvia and stand up to Soviets in 1940 and succeed - shit gets real super fucking delayed. Also, Dan Simmons' Flashback is a highly addictive read.**

*** Sabaton – Hearts of Iron**

**** To be read in Mister Jane Doe's voice**


End file.
